AUBURN | You can take your football-crazed notions and shove 'em.
The conference that takes the most flak for putting sports first has come up with the most sensible plan to play college football in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday it would play a 10-game conference-only schedule starting Sept. 26. The season will include one midseason bye-week for each team and another bye the week before the SEC Championship game, which has been pushed back two weeks to Dec. 19.
The move allows the SEC to sit back while other conferences and even the NFL serve as guinea pigs when it comes to playing football during the pandemic. The Big 12 is currently planning to start Aug. 29, the ACC Sept. 15 and the Pac-12 Sept. 22. The Big Ten has not announced a start date for its 10-game conference-only schedule. The NFL, which has canceled its preseason games, is scheduled to begin its regular season Sept. 10.
The two bye weeks also gives the SEC flexibility to move games in case there's an outbreak that forces a postponement.
“We believe these schedule adjustments offer the best opportunity to complete a full season by giving us the ability to adapt to the fluid nature of the virus and the flexibility to adjust schedules as necessary if disruptions occur,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “It is regrettable that some of our traditional non-conference rivalries cannot take place in 2020 under this plan, but these are unique, and hopefully temporary, circumstances that call for unconventional measures.”
Auburn’s matchup against North Carolina has been cancelled and in-state rivalry games such as Georgia-Georgia Tech, Florida-Florida State, South Carolina-Clemson and Kentucky-Louisville will not take place this season.
The SEC had worked with the ACC to try and preserve those games but the ACC announced its plan to play 10 conference games and leave a date open for a non-conference opponent that can only be played at home or within a school’s home state, essentially putting the ball in the SEC’s court.
The SEC took that volley and smashed it right back, knowing the strength of its conference and knowing the ACC needs those games much more than the SEC does. The ACC Coastal division is so weak, the conference decided to scrap divisions and put the top two teams in their championship game.
The SEC will release a revised schedule at a later date.
For Auburn, it likely means the current slate of SEC opponents (Ole Miss, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Arkansas, LSU and Alabama) will remain the same, although the order could get shuffled, and two more opponents from the East will be added.
Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger speculated on Twitter Wednesday that the two additional games could be each team’s next two games in the rotation, which would mean a home game against Missouri and an away matchup at South Carolina.
That would be one of the better-case scenarios for Auburn, which annually plays one of the conference’s toughest schedule.
The delayed start will also give school officials an opportunity to monitor student athlete health once classes get underway. Auburn’s fall semester is scheduled to begin Aug. 17.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes, staff and fans remains our top priority,” said Auburn AD Allen Greene. “In that spirit, we deeply appreciate Commissioner Sankey’s leadership and the tireless efforts of the Conference staff during ongoing discussions related to fall competition. The Presidents and Chancellors’ decision to implement a 10-game, conference-only schedule for the 2020 football season is prudent and the Tigers are fully supportive.
“While the format of the football schedule is confirmed, there are many other items related to football and other fall sports that warrant robust discussion, and the leaders in the Southeastern Conference are committed to working through these discussions in a thoughtful manner.”
