SEC to play 8-Game, 6-1-1 Football Schedule in 2014 and 2015

By Kevin Kelley -

SEC head coaches and athletic directors are in Destin, Florida this week and the future football scheduling format of the conference is at the forefront of the discussions.

Yesterday evening, SEC commissioner Mike Slive announced that the conference will play an eight-game, 6-1-1 format football schedule in 2014 and likely 2015 also.

The 6-1-1 format was actually approved at last year’s meetings, and at that time Slive said the format would last for the next 3-4 years, maybe longer.

Under the 6-1-1 format, each team plays six inter-division games, one permanent cross-division game, and one rotating cross-division game. This format preserved the permanent cross-division rivalries such as Alabama-Tennessee and Georgia-Auburn.

But the new College Football Playoff, which begins after the 2014 season, has the SEC discussing that format. Possible changes in the future include moving to a nine-game schedule and/or eliminating some or all of the permanent cross-division rivals.

Slive reiterated yesterday that the 8-game, 6-1-1 format will stay for the immediate future and likely in 2015 as well.

“We have a format. We have a 6-1-1 format,” Slive said. “Last year we voted overwhelmingly to do the 6-1-1 permanent [crossover divisional opponent] and one rotator. The discussion about that format and any other possible formats is a conversation that’s underway. So until that format changes that’s our format.

“We’ll leave here with that format, but I think there’s going to be a lot of discussion at all levels about whether that format should continue indefinitely.”

Slive also said that the 2014 SEC football schedule could be finalized this week. That schedule should be similar to 2013 except that the home sites will flip in the six division games and one permanent cross-division rivalry game.

The one game that is currently unknown for each team is the rotating cross-division game. Under the current format that began with the 2013 schedule, teams will play rotating cross-division games in succession rather than home-and-home in back-to-back years.

Other than the release of the 2014 slate, there probably won’t be many other future scheduling breakthroughs made this week. Most people think that changes, if any, to the SEC’s future scheduling format won’t happen until at least the 2016 season.

Update (5/31/13)

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive officially announced today that the conference will play an 8-game schedule under the 6-1-1 format in 2014 and 2015.

Comments (5)

Dear Fellow Americans, we need to stop making stupid people famous.

6-1-1 format with 14 teams

you see the same 7 teams every year. you see one out of the other 6 teams TWICE EVERY 12 YEARS. yeah real good logic right there. why wouldn’t you want to see every team in your conference at least more often? why wouldn’t you want to play an even tougher schedule to prove you are the best or best in your conference/division? doesn’t make any sense to me… I don’t understand why more people can’t agree with this…

6-1-1 format with 14 teams.

you play the same 7 teams every year. you play one out of the other 6 teams TWICE EVERY 12 YEARS. really good logic right there huh? why would you want to play in a conference where you never see half of the teams? why wouldn’t you want to prove how good you really are? why don’t you want to beat even more good teams than you already play? why don’t you want to prove a little more that you are a deserving conference/division champion? doesn’t make much sense to me. it’s all about the money and not enough about the fans. the fans want to see more conference games. wish that mattered…

Right on im an Auburn fan and I miss our rivalries with Tennessee and Florida an 8 game schedule does nothing but keeep people whining

google the ” SEC roommate switch”… it is the PERFECT scheduling format for the SEC to use… I see no reason they can’t use it