SEC Approves Scheduling Flexibility for Rest of 2020 Season, How LSU Football is Impacted

Tigers have more flexibility with half of season left to play

Think back to a month ago when LSU's game with Florida had to be postponed because of a breakout in Gainesville. While at the time, the Tigers were probably a little relieved to get that extra open date to prepare for South Carolina, what if they had the option of scheduling another game to fill that spot?

On Friday afternoon, Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported that SEC presidents voted to approve greater scheduling flexibility, which allows teams not impacted by COVID-19 on a particular week to move up an already scheduled game. For example, because LSU didn't meet the roster requirements to compete against Alabama this weekend, Alabama could theoretically schedule a game with another opponent on its remaining schedule to fill the slot. 

There are a few catches with this new rule, however. In Dellenger's reporting, the stipulations include that rescheduling decisions must be made on Mondays before a Saturday game and be with a team on the current schedule that has cleared COVID-19 protocols. 

How much of an impact this rule makes remains to be seen. For example, with four games postponed in the conference this weekend, the new rule wouldn't have applied to a single one of them. Currently there are three teams that have not had COVID-19 spikes that could've played this week had their opponents not had spikes: Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

Those three teams have already played each other this season so they couldn't go head-to-head for a second time per the rule. Of the Tigers remaining five opponents on the schedule, Texas A&M and Ole Miss are dealing with COVID-19 spikes of their own while Arkansas coach Sam Pittman tested positive this week as well. 

LSU is currently in a battle against time as coach Ed Orgeron said the hope was that most of the players currently in quarantine would be back at practice early next week to take on Arkansas. What type of shape those players are in is another question after being quarantined for two weeks. 

“I’m shaken but not deterred,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters Wednesday. “We recognized back in the summer that there would be the need to adjust. We provided opportunities for that. Those are not infinite opportunities, but we acknowledge the likelihood of adjustment."