Dumping Georgia-Auburn rivalry would be bad for college football
As I’m sure you’ve seen, UGA athletic director Greg McGarity talked with reporters Wednesday about the possibility of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry between Georgia and Auburn falling victim to the revised schedule the expanded SEC is likely to undertake after this coming season.
Basically, what it comes down to is this: The permanent cross-divisional rivalries could easily be maintained if the SEC went to a nine-game conference schedule as other conferences, including the ACC, are doing. But SEC athletic directors prefer to stick with eight conference games in order to maintain more scheduling flexibility (meaning they can schedule the occasional nonconference BCS game and still feast on at least two cupcakes per season).
That’s an even bigger factor for teams like Georgia, Florida and South Carolina that have BCS in-state rivals permanently locked in on their schedule.
The future of the Georgia-Auburn rivalry is endangered because, with that game and Alabama-Tennessee being the only east-west permanent rivalries that historically mean a whole lot to the schools involved, there’s little incentive for the athletic directors of the remaining 10 SEC schools to maintain them.
This is one instance in which what the fans clearly would prefer runs completely counter to what the business-minded athletic directors desire. There’s no question fans would rather give up a cupcake game than a traditional yearly rivalry.
But the fans and athletic directors are on separate pages here.
McGarity admitted as much when he told the Macon Telegraph that he opposed going to nine conference games because, in UGA’s case, with Georgia Tech “that makes 10 games. If you ever wanted to schedule Clemson or Ohio State, like we have, then that only leaves one guarantee game. That’s a pretty tough schedule. Fans would love it. But I don’t know if your coaches or players [would]. That’s strapping it up 11 of 12 weeks there. You have to have some time where some players play who never get a chance to be on the field. That’s why you schedule some of the I-AAs, and some of the other games, to let some of those kids grow, let those kids get their experience.”
OK, first of all, most of us know that those cupcake games really are primarily scheduled for financial reasons, not to give the kids riding the bench a chance at playing time.
But even if you accept the athletic directors’ argument for not going to nine conference games, asking fans at Georgia, Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee to accept the loss of a traditional rivalry game with a storied history in exchange for a glorified scrimmage against a 1-AA team or some nobody school with a directional name is simply not in the best interests of college football.
That may be old-fashioned thinking, I know, but if the SEC starts throwing away those longstanding traditions that have engendered the fanatical fan support that has provided the foundation of its success, what you end up with is just a feeder league for the NFL.
Got something on your mind concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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300 comments Add your comment
RBDawg
February 9th, 2012
4:11 pm
UGA should drop the Tech game and keep the Auburn game each year. An SEC win will help us more each year than beating an ACC team. Tech is a meaningless game, not even a top 3 rival for UGA. Florida, Auburn, Tennessee would come before them. Easy move for Mcgarity and Adams…keep Auburn, drop Tech.
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:12 pm
@TDF… Do you think the JUCO kid is going to commit? Also, it makes me kind of nervous that he didn’t have committable offers before now. Your thoughts?
mcdaviddawg
February 9th, 2012
4:12 pm
To get rid of one of the high school games it would be a small price to pay if Auburn is on a rotation.
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:21 pm
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:12 pm
He is in florida this week visiting UF and will prob get an offer. He doesnt have the offers bc he only has one year left of eligibility, so not everyone needs that. We on the other hand could!
not sure if he will commit, but if we can get him to come by athens I think we have a great shot at him. Especially bc he knows he would most likely start week one for us.
OZZFEST
February 9th, 2012
4:22 pm
McGARRITY : “THE FANS WOULD LOVE IT. BUT…..”
PROOF THE DUDE IS A JERK.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
4:23 pm
RBDwag how is losing TECh going to make the Auburn game happen. You are talking stupid. Dropping a OOC game will change NOTHING within the conference.
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:23 pm
@TDF… How does he only have 1 year of eligibilty left? Thought juco were only 2 year programs.
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:25 pm
unless he was at a d-1 school first then went juco.
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:26 pm
OZZFEST
February 9th, 2012
4:22 pm
Not really, the but is bc it would be too hard on the players to play 9 SEC games a year. Its a luxury of being in the best conf.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
4:27 pm
break the Neutral Site Game contracts and go to 9 Conference games and Punt the Ga Southerns of the world off the schedule.
The SEC brain trust doesn’t care about what the fans want because you sheep will cry and whine but still buy the tickets. Until you Sheeple stop spending the money you will never get what you want.
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:31 pm
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
4:27 pm
Im trying to be civil today but you make it hard with your dumb comments. Your team plays in the acc, one of the easiest conf to play in. To the SEC the ACC schedules are filled with 8-9 cupcakes a year.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
4:31 pm
BS FTD…..to it is too hard on players playing 9 SEC games. You are really DRUNK on the crap the SEC is selling. If 9 SEC games is too hard then how do you think your SEC teams will fair with a Playoff? Want it be too hard then.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
4:34 pm
FTD…Vandy and Ole Miss teams play a full season facing other SEC teams ONE more game is no big deal. If it is TOO HARD then don’t play the Ga Southerns and have 2 bye weeks in the season.
LakeDawg
February 9th, 2012
4:34 pm
but if the SEC starts throwing away those longstanding traditions that have engendered the fanatical fan support that has provided the foundation of its success, what you end up with is just a feeder league for the NFL.
———————————————————————–
Exactly. That’s what I’ve been saying. It will be their undoing. Greed killed the golden goose. The SEC has already lost me. Now I’m just a UGA fan. I couldn’t care less about the in name only SEC. I don’t even know for how much longer I’m going to remain a Dawg fan. I’m losing interest and college football in general and UGA in particular have been a 40 year passion. The powers that be are ruining it for me.
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:35 pm
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
4:31 pm
having to play 9 sec games plus a playoff, yes too grueling. (The SEC is hands down the best conf you clown, with the best defenses. so yes it would be too grueling a season)
The system they have in place now will work just fine, 1 perm opponent and one rotating spot.
gbal
February 9th, 2012
4:36 pm
We want rivalries maintained… We also want to play non divisional teams more than once per year… me want to maintain in state… and we want room for a couple of walkthru’s….
OK – Outside the box here.
Drop the EAST/WEST divisions…
Each team maintains 2 in state or border rivalries. (UF and AU for UGA AU UT for Bama….)
Have the divisions, (lets call them brackets), rotate each year. Teams 1-7 is Bracket A & teams 8-14 are Bracket B in 2012. In 2013, division A is teams 4-10 & B is 1-3 & 11-14. Play all in your division any given year (6 games) and then 2 teams outside the division. If the rivals are not in your division this year, those are your out of division games.
What would you think about rotating divisions or brackests each year. I kinda like the idea. Play all SEC teams more often. It makes is more a confrence than two sub confrences. evens out the strenth in a particular division over time. Think about it!
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:37 pm
@LakeDawg… Since you aren’t interested anymore, can i have your season tickets?
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:42 pm
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:23 pm
Not too sure how he only has one year left, good question, let me see if I can find out why.
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:43 pm
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:25 pm
This was the only thing I could think of off the top of my head as well.
You comment over on LHB dont you?
Boise Dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:47 pm
gbal. Interesting plan.. I think I like it. I still want 9 conference games though. I personally have always thought it was a joke the SEC limits it to 8. Now with an 8 game conference schedule each team is only playing 62% of the other teams in the conference.
By limiting a 14 team conference to 8 conference games is only going to create bigger disparity problems from year to year.. where certain teams will have much tougher conference schedules than others depending on how it shakes out. With only 8 conference games, we are still more likely to see a division champion decided because of the ease of their schedule than because they are actually the best team.
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:50 pm
@tdf… sometimes not too often though. spend most my time on 247
Jacket99
February 9th, 2012
4:51 pm
TDF…is the Samoan an American Samoan? I felt bad for Chester not being able to live his dream, even if it was with the rival school.
Frank Lane
February 9th, 2012
4:52 pm
Rather lose Tech than Auburn and either would be a shame. this is the age of the internet. Why not let alumni vote or fans vote or ticket holders vote. Easy to set up a vaild poll with today/s technology.
coma toast
February 9th, 2012
4:53 pm
you people are putting way to much stock in this “tradition” crap…this is a business…no one outside of athens and auburn cares how many time uga/auburn have played…full time, big boy schedules are whats coming…tech will come off the schedule next…drop the jax bs with florida…
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:55 pm
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
4:50 pm
Yea thought i recognized you. I posted the question of his eligibility over there. hopefully someone can fill us in!
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
4:56 pm
Frank Lane are you kidding? fan vote? Did you see how long it took to get a public vote on Sunday liquor sales? you Still are crazy enough to think the SEC Brain Trust cares one damn bit about you other than your $$$$$$$$.
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:58 pm
Jacket99
February 9th, 2012
4:51 pm
Not positive about his status. I would think that UGA learned their lesson already and vetted his citizenship.
Yea really stinnks about chester he would have made a DGD. Wish him the best though!
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:59 pm
Nice chatting with the non trolls today. I promise im very civil and enjoy football banter and chat just as much as everyone else.
Sometimes though the trolls have to be put in their place. (Couch cough GTBob and his GF Koolaid)
TDF
February 9th, 2012
4:59 pm
Bham who ever posted one year was wrong. Socrates said he has 3 years left
Jason
February 9th, 2012
5:03 pm
Yeah trade Auburn for UT Chattanooga – great move
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
5:04 pm
Jacket99….True Dawg Fan is playing NICE today because he got OWNED yesterday and even his own Dawg fan started calling him a fool.
RawDawg
February 9th, 2012
5:11 pm
TAM & MIZZOU GTFO!
Jacket99
February 9th, 2012
5:17 pm
Enjoyed it, all. Hope you get to keep Auburn on your schedule.
Bama fan
February 9th, 2012
5:18 pm
I’ll not have it. I’ve always loved the AU-UGA game. Its about as pure as southern football gets. Same with Bama and Tennessee. No way you can abolish those 2 games for a damn cupcake game. Go to the 9 game schedule damnit. It’ll also give one more game to possibly eliminate 3 way ties that have happened on rare occasion.
JD
February 9th, 2012
5:19 pm
Here’s an easy solution….switch Auburn to the East and Tenn to the West.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
5:23 pm
JB
February 9th, 2012
10:24 am
TDF is retarded.
Snoop Dawg
February 8th, 2012
11:32 pm
hey morons, do you think that WDE and TDF may be the same person who is getting paid by the 3 Million Dollar Man to run interference for him among the Bulldog Nation?
Meditate on that thought….
Reality bites
February 8th, 2012
4:24 pm
TDF
You really are the biggest idiot on here.
TDF, no doubt
February 8th, 2012
4:19 pm
And we quote “You are an idiot.”
ugalee
February 9th, 2012
5:25 pm
I know the almighty dollar is king but it really makes you wonder what in the world the sec is gaining from a competition standpoint by adding A&m and worse, Missouri. We are talking about destroying century old rivalries for what? A heated missouri/ kentucky border war? Give me a freaking break. I hope all of this crap blows up in the secs face
b-ham dawg
February 9th, 2012
5:28 pm
@tdf… thanks man. lets sign him up can’t have too many big bodies especially the situation we are in
ARdawg
February 9th, 2012
5:38 pm
I don’t see what the big deal is. Let’s give up a cupcake and take Tech off the schedule
THE REAL PHIL
February 9th, 2012
5:53 pm
The problem with lack of “cupcake” games is that people like Ohio State, MI, USC (Cal) and Oregon, Texas, OK etc. play almost ALL cupcake games. Their conference games may be BCS teams but they are no better than many of the 1-AA schools. There is no doubt in my mind that two SEC schools deserve to be playing for the MNC EVERY year. At 8 conference games, the schedule is always light years ahead of most conferences in terms of competition.
Dawg48
February 9th, 2012
6:31 pm
Give me tradition, Or give me death!
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
6:48 pm
A young man goes to the Crossroads expecting to meet the Devil to sell his soul for fortune and fame. He waits for 10 minutes and a LIMO pulls Up. Out jumps Obama. He says in this economy I am willing to give you 1 date with Kim Kardashian, and Food Stamps, Sec 8 housing for a year that is all.
Dog in Nam
February 9th, 2012
7:18 pm
Why is the Ga v Aub series good for college football?…..It is not good for college football…..just because it is an old rivalry….doesn’t matter, even a little bit….this idea of kinship between the 2 schools is total bs…..only thing it helps is AUs recruiting in Georgia……it’s a business and all against whom we recruit are our “enemy”/competition…..all this other drivel is just badly misplaced and ill informed sentimentality……let the conference do what they must…..if this means dropping Tech, I am for that too…..who cares….and that only helps Tech rectuiting in state……let’s play to win natnl and conf. championships……..enough tradition just being in the SEC
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
7:22 pm
Dog in Nam…..you can’t be a real fan of college football then. UGa has tried EVERYTHING for the last 32 years to win a national championship and it hasn’t worked. Why don’t the dawgs just join the Big East maybe that will work for them.
mattman
February 9th, 2012
7:26 pm
I would rather only play GT every 4-6 years than give up UGA vs AU
Still@theKool-aidBAR
February 9th, 2012
7:29 pm
mattman what does playing TECH have to do with not playing Auburn every year anymore?
Dennis
February 9th, 2012
7:56 pm
I thought Auburn was dirty and hated by the red and black. They tackled your widdle QB real hard last year and you got really really mad.
War Dang Dawg
February 9th, 2012
8:06 pm
Why would anyone want to watch Georgia-Auburn on a yearly basis when we could watch scintillating games against the likes of La.-La. and Idaho State?
Sarcasm aside, college football turned tradition on its head a long time ago. When’s the last time the Cotton Bowl was regarded as a major? Look at the conference championship games, the previously unheard of scheduling of cupcake games against lower division opponents, and bowl games named after websites and fast food restaurants, and the notion that anything is sacred in college football is laughable.
I mean, Texas A&M (SWC) and Missouri (Big
are now freakin’ SEC TEAMS (a conference created in less enlightened times, when geography and tradition actually mattered). That pretty much says it all. Why would anyone expect the Georgia-Auburn rivalry to be immune?
War Dang Dawg
February 9th, 2012
8:08 pm
I typed in the letter eight after Missouri, as in Big Eight. Not sure why a smiley face with sunglasses appeared.
War Dang Dawg
February 9th, 2012
8:09 pm
Dennis, “last year” was 2011, and we beat Auburn like a rented mule.