SEC officially announces dates of LSU-Ole Miss, Florida-Tennessee matchups
If you are an SEC fan, Monday Night Football is the gift that keeps on giving from a scheduling perspective. The Manning Cast got involved this time, with Eli and Peyton Manning having the opportunity to announce the dates of two matchups. Of course, they had to involve Ole Miss and Tennessee, having a bit of a midseason rivalry week feeling to it.
On Oct. 12, Ole Miss will travel to face off against LSU, continuing a great SEC West rivalry — despite there being no divisions. Baton Rouge will play host and hopefully live up to the high-scoring game we saw in Oxford this past season.
Over on Rocky Top, the Florida Gators will be coming to town for what has been an early-season rivalry game for years in the SEC. If anyone knows the importance of facing off against Florida, it’s Peyton Manning. Tennessee did not get a win in the Swamp during 2023 and wants to make sure they protect home turf next fall.
The SEC has not determined how future scheduling will work with Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference. They could wind up protecting three rivalries or move to a 7+1 model, with multiple head coaches leaking as such throughout the season.
If Commissioner Greg Sankey does wind up going with 7+1, the LSU-Ole Miss and Florida-Tennessee game likely will not be played on an annual basis. The four sets of fanbases will have to soak up playing one another as it may be a couple more seasons before they see each other on the gridiron again.
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However, in less than 48 hours, we will have the entire schedule in our hands. ESPN and SEC Network will release the entire slate in what is a new era for the conference. Not only due to realignment but also with ESPN becoming the SEC’s broadcasting partner.
No longer will we have the SEC on CBS. ESPN is taking over and will have the difficult task of determining which games go in which timeslot. The traditional 3:30 p.m. kickoff time will still be utilized but primetime matchups could become a lot more frequent.
The two announced games — Ole Miss at LSU and Florida at Tennessee — are a great example. Both will draw massive television numbers and should provide a great on-field product. While the SEC has brought new blood into the conference, some of their old-school rivalries are going to be just as important.