Alabama Football: Look at future SEC with 24 teams
By Ronald Evans
A 24-Team SEC
What follows is one scenario. There are others, perhaps many others in terms of what teams, what format, and what schedule. One assumption is the SEC would return to divisions with 24 teams – four divisions with six teams each. Another assumption is the SEC would play a 10-game conference schedule.
Solely for some clarity in this post, the divisions are labeled, West, Midwest, Mideast and East.
SEC West
- Missouri
- Oklahoma State
- Oklahoma
- Texas A&M
- Texas
- Arkansas
SEC Midwest
- Ole Miss
- Mississippi State
- LSU
- Alabama
- Vanderbilt
- Auburn
SEC Mideast
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Florida State
- Florida
- Miami
SEC East
- Virginia Tech
- North Carolina State
- North Carolina
- Duke
- Clemson
- South Carolina
Scheduling is a big guess but 10 conference games would allow five out-of-division games each season. A rotation could also allow every SEC team to play every other SEC team in a four-season cycle.
Additionally, a 5-5 scheduling format could even allow one, cross-division ‘rival’ to be played every other season. One example is Alabama vs. Tennessee.