SEC ADs still deliberating on football scheduling model for 2025 season, beyond

The SEC earlier this year announced the league would stick with an eight-game conference schedule format for football in 2024, despite the league adding Texas and Oklahoma. But that call for 2024 might not be indicative of the long-term outlook.

On the “Paul Finebaum Show” on Thursday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey offered an update on the discussions about a scheduling model after athletic directors in the league had met. The possibility of moving to a nine-game schedule seems to remain a real possibility.

“We swear everyone to secrecy, so I’ll be coy, which will be interesting, right? We continue to talk through membership transition issues. If you recall, we made a decision in Destin to remain at eight games for the ’24 season. We did not make any decisions about the future, today. We continue to talk about what the future may look like, 2025 and beyond,” Sankey said.

Sankey also pointed out the backdrop on Thursday as the SEC athletic directors discussed a litany of issues, including the schedule, was the Big Ten released revised conference slates for the next five years, once four new teams join the league to bring it to 18 teams.

“Interestingly enough, our Big Ten colleagues introduced their 18-team schedule in the midst of our athletic directors meeting, so I had 16 texts of that graphic sent to me. But we update our athletic directors on some of their considerations, try to clarify any information,” Sankey said.

Sankey will scope out some new league members this weekend

Saturday’s Red River Shootout has massive implications, both nationally and in the conference, on the line. But Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark will not be in attendance.

The SEC’s Greg Sankey will be at the Cotton Bowl instead, soaking in the atmosphere. This year will mark the 119th meeting between Texas and Oklahoma. Next year’s 120th battle will be an SEC game, marking a new era in the rivalry.

Sankey will have plenty of opportunities to take in the game moving forward. However, he wanted to make sure the full State Fair of Texas experience was presented to him before the two Red River schools migrated over to the SEC.

“I have wanted to attend the Oklahoma-Texas game actually for a while,” Sankey said. “I lived in Dallas for 11 years. I was the commissioner of the Southland Conference. So, I was otherwise busy.

“When we made the big news in 2021 that Oklahoma and Texas would be joining — at some point, before they joined officially, I knew I wanted to experience that game. Wanted to be back in the Cotton Bowl stadium.”