Nick Saban laments rivalry games disappearing on yearly basis
As the SEC gets closer and closer to adopting an official scheduling model going forward, reality is setting in that some long-time annual rivalry games may no longer be played on a yearly basis.
Rivalry games like Alabama–Tennessee are potentially on the chopping block as the SEC moves toward its next permanent scheduling model.
If the league adopts a 7+1 format — meaning teams play one annual fixed rivalry and seven rotating opponents — many such long-standing rivalry games are likely to be affected. Among them include Florida–LSU, Auburn–Georgia and others.
But as Alabama coach Nick Saban explains, that’s not an SEC-only conundrum.
“I always think that that’s happening all over college football, where you’re going to have these great rivalry games that players, fans, everyone at programs sort of look forward to that are not going to be able to exist on a year-to-year basis,” Saban said. “I think there’s a lot of people that are disappointed in some of those things.”
The SEC, though, has not yet formally announced a scheduling decision, though there have been some hints. One such hint came from Saban himself.
SEC coaches hint at 7+1 scheduling model
Saban may have hinted at the SEC choosing to go with the 7+1 model instead of 6+3 recently. He was asked about Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC and expressed how he is in favor of players having the opportunity to play every team in the conference.
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“The way we’re gonna do our seven-team rotation, one-team fixed,” Saban began. “I think you’re gonna play everybody every four years, so almost every guy at your school is going to play every team in the conference. Which I think is great as well.”
Saban is not the only coach in the state to potentially let the scheduling model slip. Auburn‘s Hugh Freeze said he will miss playing Georgia recently, fresh off the two playing each other. Freeze may have been the first to hint at the 7+1 and Saban is another data point.
“I’ll miss playing Georgia every year because I just got to experience it for my first time and I loved every minute of it other than the outcome,” Freeze said. “I love competing against those type teams. And so there are some changes coming.”
The SEC has already announced its 2024 opponents but has not set schedules or permanent rivalry games beyond that.
On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this report.