RE: SEC ends bluff and sets ‘25 football opponents
If I'm the SEC, just go to flex protect for up to 3 protected rivals and they can still play everyone at least twice in 5 years with 8 conference games while playing select teams (secondary rivals, "divisional opponents") 3x in 5 years.
They can still release the schedule and matchups annually how they've been doing it, but at least announce the protected annual rivalries. That way, if they go to 9 games, then they can adjust the format to allow everyone playing at least 2x every 4 years instead of 5 years and still maintain their annual rivals, but adjust their opponents played 3x.
16 Team, 8 Game Conference Schedule:
0 Protected = 10 opponents 3x in 5 years
1 Protected = 7 opponents 3x in 5 years
2 Protected = 4 opponents 3x in 5 years
3 Protected = 1 opponent 3x in 5 years
- Optional: If both agree, teams can choose to play each other 4x in 5 years
- If agreed, number of opponents played 3x in 5 years reduced by 2 for each team played 4x in 5 years
16 Team, 9 Game Conference Schedule:
0 Protected = 6 opponents 3x in 4 years
1 Protected = 4 opponents 3x in 4 years
2 Protected = 2 opponents 3x in 4 years
3 Protected = 0 opponents 3x in 4 years
This is what I thought would be best for the SEC with 8 game conference schedule, but may not be perfect (didn't attempt to create any 4x in 5 year matchups, but certainly possible). Obviously the SEC and it's teams would know who wants to play annually and then can fill in the rest.
Alabama:
Annual - Auburn & Tennessee
3x in 5 - LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi St., South Carolina
Arkansas:
Annual - Texas A&M
3x in 5 - LSU, Mississippi St., Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas
Auburn:
Annual - Alabama & Georgia
3x in 5 - Florida, LSU, Mississippi St., South Carolina
Florida:
Annual - Georgia
3x in 5 - Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt
Georgia:
Annual - Auburn & Florida
3x in 5 - Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Kentucky:
Annual - Vanderbilt
3x in 5 - Florida, Georgia, Mississippi St., Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee
LSU:
Annual - Ole Miss
3x in 5 - Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi St., Texas, Texas A&M
Mississippi St.:
Annual - Ole Miss
3x in 5 - Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma
Missouri:
Annual - Oklahoma
3x in 5 - Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi St., Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M
Oklahoma:
Annual - Missouri & Texas
3x in 5 - Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas A&M
Ole Miss:
Annual - LSU & Mississippi St.
3x in 5 - Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Vanderbilt
South Carolina:
Annual - None.
3x in 5 - Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Tennessee:
Annual - Alabama & Vanderbilt
3x in 5 - Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina
Texas:
Annual - Oklahoma & Texas A&M
3x in 5 - Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Missouri
Texas A&M:
Annual - Arkansas & Texas
3x in 5 - LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina
Vanderbilt:
Annual - Kentucky & Tennessee
3x in 5 - Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina
Alternate:
Arkansas:
Annual - Missouri
3x in 5 - LSU, Mississippi St., Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M
Mississippi St.:
Annual - Ole Miss
3x in 5 - Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Missouri:
Annual - Arkansas & Oklahoma
3x in 5 - Kentucky, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M
Ole Miss:
Annual - LSU & Mississippi St.
3x in 5 - Alabama, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Texas A&M:
Annual - Texas
3x in 5 - Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi St., Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina
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