Greg Sankey reveals why SEC strength of schedule isn’t balanced year-to-year

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey revealed why the strength of schedule within the conference isn’t always balanced year-to-year.

He made sure to note the move away from the East and West divisions was huge for conference balance. Especially with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma this year, growing the league to 16 teams.

Sankey recently gave a lengthy explanation as to how it all came together for the current season.

“We spent years, so during those three years, we weren’t just sitting back waiting for membership entry, and we ran through a set of analytics, and you have to pick a date,” Sankey said on The Triple Option. “So we actually looked post-expansion of our 14 teams after the single division format was decided. So keep in mind that the East-West format created huge imbalances and strength of schedule. In fact, if you were to have a perfectly balanced schedule for each team, their opponents would essentially be .500 with win-loss record, they would have won as much as they lost. 

“Well, if you’ve got a team like Georgia, that’s 1, 1, 1, it’s impossible for them to play each other. If you have a team at the bottom that’s had a lot of losses, it’s impossible for them to play each other. So that creates a variance.” 

Greg Sankey opens up about SEC strength of schedule

Sankey wanted the percentages to balance out, which is a juggling act in of itself.

“What we used to have is a range from about 44% winning percentage in a schedule up to about the low, mid 60s, so an 18 percentage point variance in the divisional format between the easiest schedule and the hardest schedule over that post expansion timeframe,” Sankey said. “Using the single division format, what we did is narrow that discrepancy down to about six percentage points. In other words … we go from about 47% winning percentage to about 54% winning percent. So the bandwidth is narrow. You’re never going to have perfect symmetry in schedule. 

“And then what you have, on a year to year basis, is somebody may have gone 10-2 last year, that over a 10 year period was underperforming by comparison. So you take Missouri from about 2014 to 2023, but in 2023 they go 11-2 overall. That makes the schedule look more difficult. Now, what you have to do is play this year’s team, not in the last decade’s scheduling analysis. 

Overall, the one division type of league is much more preferable for Sankey and the SEC.

“Through our work, the schedules are much more balanced than our divisional format,” Sankey said. “But you’re going to have those analyzes, particularly in the transfer portal era or rosters can change rapidly and it’s much more unpredictable.”