SEC making progress on scheduling format, transfer deadline

As the SEC’s annual spring meeting continues in Destin, Florida this week, On3’s Jesse Simonton is on-site talking with conference leaders about the direction of these closed-door discussions which will shape the future of college football. Among the biggest talking points so far, a new conference schedule format – brought about by the pending arrival of Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12 – and a new transfer portal entry deadline have stood out.

According to Simonton, indications from SEC leaders suggest the momentum rides with a nine-game conference schedule each season which protect three yearly rivals and rotates six other opponents. Meanwhile, the SEC is leaning toward not accepting Alabama’s proposal to move the transfer portal entry deadline for players to move within the conference – keeping it on Feb. 1 instead.

While no official decisions on either discussion is imminent at this point, multiple athletic directors, coaches and commissioner Greg Sankey have all offered insight during media sessions.

SEC schedule changes

Among those to speak on the potential scheduling change by the SEC, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was among the most candid on a number of issues. He updated where conference sat in the scheduling discussion on Tuesday as choices narrowed.

The eight-game model would feature one common opponent each season with a rotating schedule of seven games. The nine-game model would feature three common opponents with six rotating games a year. Other models, including so-called “pods” and divisions, have already been ruled out.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin has leaned into the nine-game model, but also revealed that both options on the table would see every team visit each opposing stadium every four years.

“The SEC should lean into competing more against one another,” said Stricklin while making his case.

SEC transfer portal changes

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart provided one of the longer answers when asked about the potential for changes to the transfer portal schedule. He strongly disagreed with the proposal.

“I don’t think the two are relevant to each other,” said Smart. “I prefer the way things currently are with the two windows, as they are. I think that it’s tremendously difficult to go through three, four months of workouts and spring practice and then have your roster change in your conference.

“So it’s one thing to say, ‘Ok, May 1, a guy can go where he needs to go.’ That happens, I think a lot of times that’s for the good of the player. We’ve had some kids that realized in the spring that they might not get the opportunity that they so desire, and they want to go look at other schools. There’s hundreds of schools they can go look at. If you say they can’t go to the SEC, I think it’s a good thing to have a date set earlier, to make a decision coming out of the season if they want to explore their options within the SEC.”

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin also spoke about the idea, stating that he does not believe it will pass before offering one key story from the room.