Joe Castiglione explains his stance on SEC scheduling numbers

With Oklahoma set to begin its first season of SEC play in 2024, athletic director Joe Castiglione made his opinion on the conference schedule clear. The SEC currently operates with an eight-game league slate for each team, though there has been discussion about increasing that number to nine.

Both the Sooners and Texas come from the Big 12, where they were used to playing a nine-game conference schedule. Castiglione revealed he would like to see the SEC eventually follow that model and add an additional game.

“My public stance has been nine,” he said at the SEC spring meetings. “I do understand there have been some changing dynamics that have taken place since I made that public stance. I still like nine, don’t get me wrong.”

The SEC is locked in at eight conference games for the next two years. However, there is the opportunity to re-evaluate the schedule ahead of the 2026 season.

Castiglione pointed to the fact that OU and Texas play a neutral site game every season with the Red River Rivalry. That being the case, a nine-game conference schedule still gives both teams four SEC home games every year.

The Sooners AD also brought up the strength of schedule factor. Playing more conference contests could boost the College Football Playoff resume for SEC schools as the conference aims to get as many as possible in the 12-team format.

“We’re always gonna play the University of Texas on a neutral site in the Cotton Bowl,” Castiglione said. “So it works best for us in terms of conference games. Strength of schedule has to be important in the evaluation of teams going forward and selecting those worthy of the College Football Playoff. So we’ve gotta study what the assessment or the evaluation process is going to be appropriate for the expansion of the playoff.

“It’s not just the exact same as it would be for the four teams. I say that as a former member of the committee. I just think there has to a deep conversation on how those kind of conversations are going to go in the room because you have to value teams that are going to play very challenging schedules to be able to determine great teams that are worthy of being ranked where they are in that top 12.”

Those are certainly things to consider going forward as the SEC weighs out whether to play eight or nine conference games. The league is mostly split on the matter right now, but getting the chance to see how eight games work over the next two years should provide an idea of how to operate for the long-term future.