August 21, 2025 • 7 mins
The SEC will adopt a 9-game conference schedule beginning in 2026. How does this impact Texas? Will they continue to play Oklahoma and Texas A&M every season? Craig Way and Cameron Parker discuss on Thursday's program...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
And we're back to the Craigway Show. Have a message
for Craig, Share.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
It by using the talkback feature on the Ihearts Radio
a app.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
We were just.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Skimming through what seth Emmerson's story was about the possibility,
and his lead was the SEC is moving closer to
adopting a nine game conference schedule. They've gone beyond moving closer.
It's happened. In fact, it was announced by the commissioner
(00:37):
himself just a few minutes ago in Atlanta. And here
is the announcement. It says, the Southeastern Conference today announced
it will implement a nine game football schedule beginning in
twenty twenty six, reinforcing the SEC's position as the nation's.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Leader in competitive excellence and fan excitement.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Anyway, the decision, approved by the SEC's presidents and chancellors
following a recommendation by the league's athletic directors, was announced
by Commissioner Greg Sanki. Now this is the quote from
the commissioner from Sankie, adding a ninth SEC game underscores
our university's commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule
(01:18):
in the nation. This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance,
and paired with our requirement to play an additional power opponent, insurers,
SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in
the College Football Playoff. Now Here here is the breakdown
on the format for it. First of all, the SEC
(01:43):
will continue with a single standings non divisional structure. In
other words, the reference that I was making to our
man Viva Lance Jason, there was no pods anything like that,
either through scheduling or through standings.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
No pods.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
But they will still go with just their single standing
non divisional structure, which obviously means the top two teams
would advance to the SEC championship game. Then it says
each school will play three annual opponents focused on maintaining
many traditional rivalries, and say all many. It did say
(02:22):
each team's remaining six games will rotate among the remaining
conference schools, and each team will face every other SEC
program at least once every two years, and every opponent
home and away in four years. Now that last part
is important to keep in mind because what it can
(02:46):
mean is you could lock in. When it says three
annual opponents, you can lock in say Oklahoma, A and
M and Arkansas for Texas as they're three annuals, while
keeping the other six rotating home and home. And that
was the key to this whole thing, was mentioning that
they would play all of their remaining those six games
(03:09):
that rotate home and home. So that let's say, for example,
LSU Texas didn't get to play LSU in twenty twenty,
as we know because of the pandemic on that would
have been that return game in Baton Rouge. But in
this case, even if LSU is not listed as one
of the quote unquote traditional opponents, then they could still
(03:30):
be on the rotating of the six where they would
play them at least once at home and once in
the road every four years, and they would face every
other SEC program at least once every two years. I
love it. I'm all about it. Everybody has that equal
balance of that.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Further furthermore, this is from.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
The SEC release. SEC teams are required to schedule at
least one additional high quality non conference opponent from the
Atlantic Coast, Big Ten or Big twelve conferences or Notre
Dame Meats season. The SEC will continue evaluate its policies
to ensure the continued schedule of high quality non conference opponents,
(04:17):
so you know, they've been playing eight conference games in
nineteen ninety two, they played seven from eighty eight to
ninety one, and six from seventy four to eighty seven.
Prior to seventy four, there was no uniform requirement. So
now it's locked in. It's going to happen starting next year.
I think it's great. I think it's even it locks
everybody in, because that's one of been one of the
(04:38):
other arguments for folks who say, I don't know that
it helps or not if you're not going to wind
up playing everybody and you're not going to get a
chance to play everybody at home. Under this formula, you
see every team in the league at least every two years,
and you get to play a home game against every
(05:00):
team in the league within every four years. So I
think it's a good format. I think it'll and furthermore,
making sure they play a power for opponent. Now folks
can can howl about whatever cupcakes and fcs and all
that kind of stuff. And I did say this last
segment before this became official, if if they went to
(05:20):
nine games, you'll probably still see some of those teams
play a cupcake. But it's a lot easier to swallow
a cupcake when you got your vegetables.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Going down too.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And that's that and that, and that's what's going to
happen here with this playing a ninth conference opponent and
you're required to play a power for and most of
the SEC schools I think play a P four. I
think they all they all did last year, and I
think they will and they have to now off of that. Texas,
by the way, has at least one Power for opponent
(05:54):
on its non conference schedule the rest of this decade.
They've got obvious the Ohio State this year. Ohio State
comes back here next year, Michigan comes here, the return
game from a year ago, they come here the following year.
Then I think they've got a home and home of
Arizona State and also under Dame right and Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So so they're they're set.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, they're set. They're locked in. The others will have
to adjust. Would you say Mississippi State will have to
dump a non con.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
They're the only only SEC team with four non conference
schemes already scheduled for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Yeah, somebody's gonna get dumped off that list. Take a
close look at that fourth non conference opponent.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
How many of them do you think are power for?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I think one's gonna be power for. That's it. That's
my guess. I'll put it this way.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
If the if that fourth one is not a power for,
that's the one that draws the black bean.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I'm just saying a short straw. One.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yep, Tennessee Tech. That's that's the one. None is that
the fourth game?
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yep?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
It's Louisiana Monroe bat Minnesota yep, home for Troy yep.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And then Tennessee Tech. See you, Golden Eagles, that's the
only FC. Yes, they'll be off of that.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Even though they're playing a P four in Minnesota. They've
got that.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
But yeah, that's going to have to replace the to
lock in the other conference upon it all right up
next we'll be ready to wrap it up with what
I considered, perhaps if the SEC going to nine conference
games is the most important news of the day, what
(07:25):
I'm about to tell you.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Is the second most. When we wrap it up on
thirteen under the zone
And we're back to the Craigway Show. Have a message
for Craig, Share.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
It by using the talkback feature on the Ihearts Radio
a app.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
We were just.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Skimming through what seth Emmerson's story was about the possibility,
and his lead was the SEC is moving closer to
adopting a nine game conference schedule. They've gone beyond moving closer.
It's happened. In fact, it was announced by the commissioner
(00:37):
himself just a few minutes ago in Atlanta. And here
is the announcement. It says, the Southeastern Conference today announced
it will implement a nine game football schedule beginning in
twenty twenty six, reinforcing the SEC's position as the nation's.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Leader in competitive excellence and fan excitement.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Anyway, the decision, approved by the SEC's presidents and chancellors
following a recommendation by the league's athletic directors, was announced
by Commissioner Greg Sanki. Now this is the quote from
the commissioner from Sankie, adding a ninth SEC game underscores
our university's commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule
(01:18):
in the nation. This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance,
and paired with our requirement to play an additional power opponent, insurers,
SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in
the College Football Playoff. Now Here here is the breakdown
on the format for it. First of all, the SEC
(01:43):
will continue with a single standings non divisional structure. In
other words, the reference that I was making to our
man Viva Lance Jason, there was no pods anything like that,
either through scheduling or through standings.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
No pods.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
But they will still go with just their single standing
non divisional structure, which obviously means the top two teams
would advance to the SEC championship game. Then it says
each school will play three annual opponents focused on maintaining
many traditional rivalries, and say all many. It did say
(02:22):
each team's remaining six games will rotate among the remaining
conference schools, and each team will face every other SEC
program at least once every two years, and every opponent
home and away in four years. Now that last part
is important to keep in mind because what it can
(02:46):
mean is you could lock in. When it says three
annual opponents, you can lock in say Oklahoma, A and
M and Arkansas for Texas as they're three annuals, while
keeping the other six rotating home and home. And that
was the key to this whole thing, was mentioning that
they would play all of their remaining those six games
(03:09):
that rotate home and home. So that let's say, for example,
LSU Texas didn't get to play LSU in twenty twenty,
as we know because of the pandemic on that would
have been that return game in Baton Rouge. But in
this case, even if LSU is not listed as one
of the quote unquote traditional opponents, then they could still
(03:30):
be on the rotating of the six where they would
play them at least once at home and once in
the road every four years, and they would face every
other SEC program at least once every two years. I
love it. I'm all about it. Everybody has that equal
balance of that.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Further furthermore, this is from.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
The SEC release. SEC teams are required to schedule at
least one additional high quality non conference opponent from the
Atlantic Coast, Big Ten or Big twelve conferences or Notre
Dame Meats season. The SEC will continue evaluate its policies
to ensure the continued schedule of high quality non conference opponents,
(04:17):
so you know, they've been playing eight conference games in
nineteen ninety two, they played seven from eighty eight to
ninety one, and six from seventy four to eighty seven.
Prior to seventy four, there was no uniform requirement. So
now it's locked in. It's going to happen starting next year.
I think it's great. I think it's even it locks
everybody in, because that's one of been one of the
(04:38):
other arguments for folks who say, I don't know that
it helps or not if you're not going to wind
up playing everybody and you're not going to get a
chance to play everybody at home. Under this formula, you
see every team in the league at least every two years,
and you get to play a home game against every
(05:00):
team in the league within every four years. So I
think it's a good format. I think it'll and furthermore,
making sure they play a power for opponent. Now folks
can can howl about whatever cupcakes and fcs and all
that kind of stuff. And I did say this last
segment before this became official, if if they went to
(05:20):
nine games, you'll probably still see some of those teams
play a cupcake. But it's a lot easier to swallow
a cupcake when you got your vegetables.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Going down too.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And that's that and that, and that's what's going to
happen here with this playing a ninth conference opponent and
you're required to play a power for and most of
the SEC schools I think play a P four. I
think they all they all did last year, and I
think they will and they have to now off of that. Texas,
by the way, has at least one Power for opponent
(05:54):
on its non conference schedule the rest of this decade.
They've got obvious the Ohio State this year. Ohio State
comes back here next year, Michigan comes here, the return
game from a year ago, they come here the following year.
Then I think they've got a home and home of
Arizona State and also under Dame right and Notre Dame.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So so they're they're set.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, they're set. They're locked in. The others will have
to adjust. Would you say Mississippi State will have to
dump a non con.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
They're the only only SEC team with four non conference
schemes already scheduled for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Yeah, somebody's gonna get dumped off that list. Take a
close look at that fourth non conference opponent.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
How many of them do you think are power for?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I think one's gonna be power for. That's it. That's
my guess. I'll put it this way.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
If the if that fourth one is not a power for,
that's the one that draws the black bean.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I'm just saying a short straw. One.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yep, Tennessee Tech. That's that's the one. None is that
the fourth game?
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Yep?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
It's Louisiana Monroe bat Minnesota yep, home for Troy yep.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And then Tennessee Tech. See you, Golden Eagles, that's the
only FC. Yes, they'll be off of that.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Even though they're playing a P four in Minnesota. They've
got that.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
But yeah, that's going to have to replace the to
lock in the other conference upon it all right up
next we'll be ready to wrap it up with what
I considered, perhaps if the SEC going to nine conference
games is the most important news of the day, what
(07:25):
I'm about to tell you.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Is the second most. When we wrap it up on
thirteen under the zone
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