THE CZECH IS IN THE MAIL
What’s wrong with me? I’m actually thanking a governing body of scholastic sports.
I never do this. Most of my pieces about governing bodies of any sport involve criticism.
But this time, one of them actually did something that makes sense.
Beginning in the 2026 football season – next year – the Southeastern Conference will schedule nine conference games for its 16 members.
This year, we’ll have to live through another “why can’t they play one more conference game” eight-league-game schedule. But next year, everything will fall into place.
Why am I so pumped up about this decision?
Well, under the current system of eight conference games, each team would have to play a 1-7-7 schedule.
Under this dreadful system, each team would have one permanent conference opponent, face seven teams for two years and face the other seven the next two years. This would mean that the Texas Longhorns would only get to play Oklahoma or Texas A&M every year and play the other one for two years with two years off.
Chances are under the nine-game schedule, Texas will keep the annual rivalry with both the Sooners and Aggies. With nine conference games, the SEC will likely adopt a 3-6-6 format.
Under the 3-6-6, teams have three permanent opponents, six opponents the first two years and the other six the next two years. I can imagine that Texas will face A&M and Oklahoma on an annual basis, and Arkansas seems like a formidable third permanent opponent considering the history between the Longhorns and Razorbacks in the Southwest Conference era.
I can imagine like Texas, the Fightin’ Texas (A&M) Aggies will have Arkansas as a permanent opponent. It would make sense for either LSU or Missouri to join the Longhorns and Razorbacks as a permanent opponent of A&M.
Next year, the SEC will finally “catch up” with the other Power Five conferences – Atlantic Coast, Big 10, Big 12 and Pac 12 – with the nine-game conference schedule.
The other four leagues have been playing nine conference games for the past decade.
Here’s how I predict the permanent opponents in the SEC:
• Texas:A&M, Arkansas, Oklahoma
• A&M:Arkansas,LSU, Texas
• LSU:A&M,Florida, Alabama
• Arkansas:A&M, Missouri, Texas
• Oklahoma:Missouri, South Carolina, Texas,
• Missouri:Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina
• Mississippi:Florida, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt
• MississippiState: Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi
• Tennessee:Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
• Vanderbilt:Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee
• Alabama:Auburn, LSU, Tennessee
• Auburn:Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State
• Florida:Georgia, LSU, Mississippi
• Georgia:Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
• Kentucky:Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
• SouthCarolina: Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma I’m sure my list will be amended somewhat.
But it’s a start.
Thank you, SEC, for doing the right thing.
Chlapek is the area editor of the Elgin Courier and Taylor Press. He can be reached at jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners. com.
