Kirby Smart reveals potential complications with adjusting the SEC scheduling model

Georgia coach Kirby Smart spoke about the discussions taking place at the SEC spring meetings this year, including possible changes to scheduling. The SEC is currently discussing potential changes to their scheduling, including two reported possibilities — an eight-game schedule with one permanent opponent and seven rotating opponents, or a nine-game schedule with three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents.

While the conference is reportedly still discussing all of their options with scheduling, including dissolving their two-divisions into one, Smart outlined his stance on the issue and what possible problems both options face.

Kirby Smart on SEC scheduling changes

“I’m always excited to have great matchups. You have to walk a fine line,” said Smart via On3’s Jesse Simonton. “I don’t think there’s a coach in his right mind who’s gonna say in a perfect world I think it’s 8 games, 9 games — because there’s so much more involved than just what the coach wants.

“There’s a lot to do with television contracts, a lot to do with making sure everybody gets to play a fair schedule. It’s hard when you look at it with the options out there — there’s a lot of options. I’m for what gives the student-athlete the best experience within our conference. We’ve got two more teams on the horizon, that changes the dynamic as well.

“So there’s nothing wrong with a nine-game schedule but that may not be the best thing for the conference right now. I think it’s a lot more about who you play in those other games than necessarily a nine-game schedule. We’ve been very aggressive in terms of scheduling, trying to schedule opponents out in the future that make great matchups because I want the University of Georgia to play in big games.

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“So whether that’s an extra SEC game or a power-five opponent — [if] it attracts our fan base and excites our fan base, so be it. But I don’t have a stance in terms of ‘this is what’s best’ or ‘that’s what’s best’ because it changes as our conference changes.”

Despite all of their differences in opinions however, Smart had praise for the meetings themselves taking place. With tensions high after Alabama‘s Nick Saban and Texas A&M‘s Jimbo Fisher got into a war of words about NIL, Smart pointed out the positives of getting together and reconnecting with his fellow SEC coaches.

“I know we have a lot of decisions and conversations — to go over a lot of issues in the next really small window. 24 hours. I hope every decision is made in the best interest of making our sport and game better,” added Smart. “I’m excited to have conversations with a lot of guys I haven’t got to see in a while. I’m excited to be here, I think there’s a lot of good things to come out of it.”