Sam Pittman opens up on SEC scheduling format

The SEC spring meetings are playing host to the conference’s biggest debate: should the league switch from eight to nine SEC games for each team once Oklahoma and Texas migrate in next summer. So, with all the conference’s head coaches huddled up down in Destin, media in attendance are all asking for the same answer from each of them: where do you sit on the eight vs. nine argument?

We recently got Arkansas coach Sam Pittman’s thoughts on the matter. He appears to be in the camp of folks who don’t feel passionately one way or another. Despite his apathy towards the ultimate decision, he did take a few moments of his media time to provide a sweeping assessment of the pros and cons of each model, revealing that he’s been on both sides of the fence at various points in the argument.

So take a look at what the Pit Boss thinks of the new SEC scheduling model right here:

Sam Pittman’s thoughts on SEC football scheduling

“Well, I think the easier thing to do is keep it at eight. It’s not broke. We’re winning national championships in our league, playing a good non-conference schedule. I think obviously you’d have to figure out if you’re going to play a power five team (in the non-conference) or not if you went to nine.

“I think the schedule would be good for either one, eight or nine, because you’re going to go home and home ever four-year period, so I don’t know what it’s going to come down to. But I anticipate it’s going to be another three or four days and they’ll probably figure it all out. I really don’t have a preference right now.

“I did want the nine, but I’ve kind of changed my mind. I don’t think it really matters if you played the nine-game schedule. Would the SEC still say you have to play another power five team? As of right now, it’s still on the table whether they would say you’d have another one, and if you look at it with our league, if you added another game, you’re also adding eight more losses in the league. And that’s not to say we can’t get beat by somebody outside of the league, but you’re guaranteeing there’s eight more losses in the league.

“Will that hurt us? Probably not as bad, because they’re going to expand the playoffs, so probably not as bad. But one of the compelling arguments was that it’s not broke, we’re playing eight eight right now now we are going to end up being a total SEC and not a West and East. But we’re playing for the title right now and I don’t know what they’re gonna do.

“Whatever it is, we’ll be fine with it. I just want the kid and the fans to have the opportunity to go to Tennessee and Tennessee come here and in a in a four-year cycle. Or go to Georgia, Georgia come here in a four-year. I think it’s good for the game.”