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Ray Tanner weighs in on future of SEC football scheduling

On3 imageby:Collyn Taylor•07/02/22•

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Ray Tanner talks progress on potential MarRay Tanner talks progress on potential Mark Kingston extensionk Kingston extension Carolina athletics director Ray Tanner speaking to the media
Ray Tanner (Photo by Katie Dugan)

South Carolina and the rest of the SEC have a decision to make sooner rather than later.

The league will expand in no less than three seasons, welcoming in Texas and Oklahoma. That will causing a significant shift in how the football world schedules.

With the Longhorns and Sooners coming in, the debate has centered around two primary ideas with each school having its open preference.

“We’ve had a conversation inside the athletic directors’ room. Presidents have been involved as well,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said in a recent interview with 107.5 FM. “It hasn’t been an easy place to land. It’ll probably be sooner than later that we will land and make a decision on where we go in the future.”

One model would involve each team playing one permanent opponent annually and seven rotating on a biannual basis. The other is a three permanent, six rotating model.

That would help preserve some entrenched league rivalries. But it would push the total number of league games to nine instead of what it is currently at eight.

Having nine SEC games is tough for teams like South Carolina, Florida and Georiga. All three have an annual Power 5 rival and schedule non-conference games frequently with other Power 5 programs.

“Keep in mind we’re going to play Clemson every year. Is that really a one-seven or is that a one-eight? That’s the kind of competition you’re talking about,” Tanner said. “With our schedule, we have North Carolina in 2023 again and Virginia Tech down the road. We’re not staring at easy schedules.”

South Carolina opens its 2023 season in Charlotte against North Carolina. They also have a Chick-Fil-A kickoff game against Virginia Tech scheduled in Atlanta to start the 2025 season.

There are also home-and-homes scheduled with Miami, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and NC State. That’s on top of playing Clemson annually.

This is why there is some debate from schools like South Carolina going to a nine-game schedule in the SEC.

We have to think about opportunities to be successful in the postseason and get opportunities to play and not cannibalize in the league,” Tanner said. “With the three-six, you have the five and the four then the four and the five home and away. But you do see everybody in a four-year time frame home and away.”

There are pros and cons to both, but a decision has to get made sooner rather than later.

“One-seven gives us an opportunity to continue what we’re doing with Clemson. And maybe play another Power 5 somewhere along the way,” Tanner said.

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