Here are the 3 reasons why the SEC didn't expand its football schedule
Topic A around the SEC spring meetings this week was the state of the conference football schedule, with members ultimately shooting down the proposed nine-game slate in favor of playing eight league games starting in the 2024 college football season when Texas and Oklahoma are scheduled to join the conference.
But notably, that decision comes with a limited time horizon: just one year, before the SEC will come back to the table and approach the subject again.
And when they do, it's believed members will have enough momentum to change their minds and vote in favor of the expanded schedule.
"Creating a one-year schedule will provide a longer on-ramp to manage football scheduling around existing non-conference commitments of our members," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement outlining what he called "complexities that can better be managed with a one-year schedule."
Sankey added: "It will also provide additional time to understand the impact of an expanded College Football Playoff and engage with our media partners as we determine the appropriate long-term plan for SEC football scheduling."
So why didn't the SEC move forward with the nine-game conference schedule? Here are the three main reasons, according to those involved in the conversation.
1. Player well-being. There was some concern voiced among league members that adding another conference game may be detrimental to players' health and safety, a fact brought up by Kentucky president Eli Capilouto.
2. College Football Playoff selection. With every SEC team playing a ninth game against a conference opponent, that would mean half the league would finish the football season with an extra loss, a fact that could negatively impact the conference when it comes to bowl participation and CFP selection, especially given how important strength of schedule will feature in the expanded 12-team playoff.
3. The money. As much as everyone involved insisted that money was not a motivating factor, the fact remains that ESPN is not contractually obligated to pay the SEC any more for adding a ninth conference game. As a result, general opinion among SEC members was that ESPN, which is undergoing cuts and layoffs, would have no desire to increase the revenue it pays to the league.
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | All Teams