UGA’s McGarity between rock and hard place on SEC scheduling
The SEC’s athletic directors are meeting this week in Nashville on what to do about the football schedule in the wake of expansion, and it sounds like UGA’s Greg McGarity is beginning to waver in his opposition to adding a ninth conference game each season.
That’s because, basically, the SEC schools giving up a cupcake nonconference game is the best, least disruptive way to ensure that the traditional cross-divisional Georgia-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee rivalries are maintained as an annual fixture.
Up to now, McGarity was like most coaches and AD’s in the conference: opposed to a nine-game conference schedule — despite the fact it would most likely draw more TV money — because they consider it tough enough to survive eight SEC games and don’t want to give up one of those sure home wins they buy from lesser programs hungry for the bucks.
Plus, they say, playing nine conference games would make it very difficult to pull the trigger on the occasional nonconference game against a big-time opponent. That’s especially true for schools like Georgia, Florida and South Carolina that are locked into a game every year against a nonconference in-state rival from a BCS conference.
But as this week’s SEC meetings approached, McGarity said he at least supports discussing the option of nine conference games.
The problem is that if the conference keeps the eight-game schedule in its current configuration, you’ll only play the teams from the other division twice every 12 years, aside from your permanent cross-divisional rival. A lot of folks think that’s too long, which has put the possibility of giving up the permanent rivalries on the table.
Really, only the only permanent rivalries that anyone cares about are Georgia-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee. The others — Florida-LSU, Arkansas-South Carolina, Vanderbilt-Ole Miss, Kentucky-Mississippi State and Missouri-Texas A&M — don’t have much of a history or haven’t really developed any traction as rivalries.
Talking with the Chattanooga Times Free Press, McGarity asked, “At some point, does the conference make a statement preserving the historical pieces? I hope that there will be a level of concern and compassion for those two rivalry games,” but he acknowledged that, “the worry there is that it would be a 10-4 vote.”
With nine conference games, one of the three cross-divisional games could still be devoted to the permanent rivalries. But as McGarity acknowledged to The Birmingham News, going to nine conference games, as other conferences are doing, also would offer a more attractive product on the field to the ticket-buying fans.
“Many SEC fans have a decision whether to come to our game, or sit at home in front of their 60-inch HDTV,” McGarity said. “Would they be more likely to come to a conference game as opposed to a guaranteed [nonconference] game? I’d probably say yes.”
Other possible solutions to the problem have been floated, including petitioning the NCAA for a waiver to its rule that requires conferences with a championship game to be split into two divisions of at least six teams with each team in a division playing every other team in its division. If the SEC weren’t divided into divisions and simply had the two top teams playing in its championship game, the traditional rivalries would be protected. But whether the schools that don’t really care about traditional cross-divisional rivalries would support such a major upheaval just to protect Georgia-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee is questionable.
And so it is that you have McGarity willing to talk about adding a ninth conference game. Because, as he told the Times Free Press, “Our top priority in the whole scheduling discussion is maintaining the rivalry with Auburn.”
It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
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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226 comments Add your comment
Red Stick
February 29th, 2012
12:27 pm
I would prefer a 9 game schedule. As a long-time LSU season ticket holder, I have gotten to where I don’t go to at least one cupcake game anymore.
I understand the point being made about a SEC Champion with one or two losses being out of the title game because of having to play a 9th conference game. However, what hasn’t been mentioned that with a 4 team playoff almost certainly coming to reality in 2014, the SEC Champ only has to finish in the top 4 and not the top 2 as is currently the case. I think it would be very rare for a SEC Champ or another SEC school not finishing in the top 4.
Geaux Tigers
SEC Champions
Big Dawg Matt
February 29th, 2012
12:31 pm
One thing that no one is mentioning is that if they do go to 9 game division, it will be that much more difficult for the SEC to continue its reign of playing for national titles. With the SEC already being the best and most difficult conference to win, adding an additional game creates another opportunity for a loss which might end up costing the SEC a lot of money in the long run. And since money IS the deciding factor in these decisions, don’t be surprised to see the rivalries disappear.
option z???
February 29th, 2012
12:50 pm
could UGA/AU & UofA/TN just play the rivalry game as one of their “non-conference” games?
7576DAWG
February 29th, 2012
12:55 pm
I think we should have an eight game schedule and keep the Auburn game every year. But the game that really doesn’t mean that much and will NOT be missed is the Georgia Tech game. Getting rid of the annual game with Georgia Tech is much preferred than losing the Auburn game.
LL2
February 29th, 2012
12:59 pm
Talking about us playing a tough schedule. Since our 1965 away game vs Michigan we have ONLY played one tough out of conference game outside the Southeast (Arizona St). So all the discussion about 9 SEC games being a burden is hogwash. It’s time we play more competitive teams for the folks who support the program. The more I hear from McGarrity the more I’m certain he isn’t a long term solution for Dawg nation.
ga gator
February 29th, 2012
1:03 pm
LL2, I guess Okie St and Colorado were not tough enough for you?
Texas Dawg
February 29th, 2012
1:04 pm
I really don’t see myself getting all hyped up and excited about a game against Buffalo or Ga southern………won’t be nearly the anticipation. We always do it up big with the BBQ ect before one of our big games is televised…..we usually don’t get these patsy games televised out here in Texas…..shame real shame if we loose AU or Tech………those games we get real excited about…………Buffalo….please…just a shame
I was really looking forward to playing Alabama this year…..honesty what true Dawg fan would rather watch us play Bama or Missouri? For me not even close………..If we want to be the best we have to beat the best.
LL2
February 29th, 2012
1:06 pm
Yeah playing a 3-8 Colorado team was tough in the loss column but not because anybody has ‘em rated highly.
LL2
February 29th, 2012
1:10 pm
Why can’t our AD dept go out and schedule attractive teams like LSU and Alabama play? I know recently they have played or scheduled Virginia Tech, Oregon, Michigan, Clemson, Oklahoma to name a few. Is it asking too much to skip Buffalo?
DodgerDAWG
February 29th, 2012
1:22 pm
I say drop a cupcake game. we do not need to play Tech every year
ga gator
February 29th, 2012
1:24 pm
LL2
February 29th, 2012
1:10 pm
Why can’t our AD dept go out and schedule attractive teams like LSU and Alabama play? I know recently they have played or scheduled Virginia Tech, Oregon, Michigan, Clemson, Oklahoma to name a few. Is it asking too much to skip Buffalo?
LL2 I would agree with you. My thinking he developed his philosophy from his former boss Jeremy Foley at UF and as a 59 year-old Gator who attends 7 or 8 UGA games a year with my wife, I don’t like that line of thinking. We spend over 2500 per year for our donations and seats and do not want to really watch Buffalo, FAU or Ga Southern. One thing about Bama and LSU, they do not mind scheduling tough games out of conference.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
1:26 pm
pass those taters
Hopefully, you have not reproduced any offspring…………..
ga gator
February 29th, 2012
1:27 pm
All of this may be a moot point after we add Clemson and VT to the conference for the 2014 season.
Flo-Ri-Duh
February 29th, 2012
1:30 pm
With 9 SEC games on the schedule the team DEPTH really becomes an issue due to injuries. etc. Getting only 19 scholarship players, like UGA did last year, will show up in the 2nd half of games against teams that are two and three deep with talent. Maybe the SEC east & SEC west should be re-aligned again to put rivals in the same division. This would solve the problem. Example, UGA, Auburn, Florida, S.Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee & Vanderbilt could be in the east and LSU, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Miss State and Kentucky could be in the west.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
1:31 pm
6-18 Against Ranked Teams Since ‘05
February 29th, 2012
11:18 am
Agree with Concerned
I’d rather not go to the SEC Champ game and play a tough scedule rather than play a cupcake schedule like last year, go 1-4 against ranked teams, and get embarrasingly blown out by LSU.
To my fellow Dawg fans (notice I didn’t say my fellow Richt fans)….where is your pride???
**********************************
So we play 9 games during a year where the schedule is loaded and we win them all. We also play a power OOC and slip up and lose. We go to ATL and win the SEC. We then get left out of the BCS title game because of the one slip up despite going 10-0 in the SEC.
you ok with that?
Also, just wondering, how are you a UGA fan and not a fan of our coach? You pulling for us to win ugly so you can continue to gripe about Richt?
Just wondering how that plays out while you are watching a game???
dawgfan
February 29th, 2012
1:32 pm
Disagree on Florida and LSU. As a general fan of SEC football this is one of my favorite games of the SEC season. Its usually very competitive and both teams are usually highly ranked. It would be ashamed to see this one go too.
Thanks.
BigGAdawg
February 29th, 2012
1:33 pm
So what if we play them home-and-home every twelve years instead of every ten!! Nine conference games in the SEC will only make it harder on the SEC, and easier on all the other conferences, when it comes to national rankings. Stick to eight.
Contractor
February 29th, 2012
1:34 pm
Georgia Southern is not a team I mind playing. Nick Saban said last season that Georgia Southern was the toughest team they played all year. They are usually a top fixture in D-1AA. I think the Buffalo’s, Florida Atlantic’s, and Western Kentucky’s are the teams that need to be folded in order to sustain some of the traditions Georgia is known for. Georgia gets a ton of publicity when it comes to “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry”, and I think recruits buy into the traditions of that when they attend. Just think if there was no original blackout game. There is no reason why there should not be a ninth conference game, and like some have said on here, the SEC brought two new schools in for appearance purposes, so they should accept the fact that another game has to replace a crappy cupcake.
LL2
February 29th, 2012
1:37 pm
ga gator
You bring up a good point about McGarrity’s association with Foley. I would venture to say Florida had the weakest first two games of the season of any SEC team over the last 8-10 years. I don’t agree with that mindset no matter which school is doing it.
LSU and Bama have proven you can add a tough game early and benefit from it, especially if you win. It’s a win-win deal for the program and fans.
If you read Wentzel’s “Death to the BCS” he has a chapter which covers scheduling over the last 40 odd years. It’s alarming to see how many fewer cross sectional games are played today, especially during the BCS era. Thanks for the feedback.
DodgerDAWG
February 29th, 2012
1:40 pm
@Ga Gator 1:24….This year LSU plays Idaho, Towson University and North Texas. Alabama plays Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic and Western Carolina. Sure Alabama has Michigan and LSU has Washington this year, but no other AQ school outside of their SEC schedule. Last season we dropped a pay-for-play game to take on Boise and still had a AQ opponent in Tech. Our annual “rivalry” game with Tech prevents us from scheduling the same as Alabama and LSU.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
1:43 pm
Using LSU and Bama as the poster children for tough OOC scheduling is a joke. We add clemson and OSU in the future and have played ASU, Okie St, Boise St and Colorado. When they were scheduled, all were highly thought of.
Tennessee has consistently played the toughest OOC games
Joey
February 29th, 2012
1:51 pm
GREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
AltamahaDawg
February 29th, 2012
1:53 pm
You sort of think they might have actually thought this stuff out before adding those 2 teams, wouldn’t you?
LL2
February 29th, 2012
1:55 pm
DawginLex
Claiming a 3-8 Colorado team as tough is called drinking the kool-aid.
LSU and Alabama have BOTH won National Titles twice during Richt era. The fact is they aggressively schedule tough teams to open the season. Bama has done this since the Bryant era. See Notre Dame and Nebraska for example.
Move On
February 29th, 2012
1:56 pm
Cupcakes are a cop out!!!
invictus mon
February 29th, 2012
1:58 pm
I’m done with the cupcakes. It wasn’t there fault but even FSU had to schedule a game with Savannah State for next year. Give me a break! They don’t even belong in the same stadium! The fans only get 7 chances a year to watch their team between the hedges at home. McGarity owes it to all of us to make those 7 hallowed days a good ballgame!
invictus mon
February 29th, 2012
1:58 pm
their fault…my god my grammer is going today
Jesus Christ
February 29th, 2012
2:01 pm
SEC fans are damn rednecks.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:05 pm
LL2
BS
Colorado is a decent OOC opponent, especially on the road. Not a D 1AA cupcake like Furman or wofford.
LSU and Bama’s schedules are loaded with cupcakes.
what does the national title stuff have to do with the scheduling discussion?
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:07 pm
I noticed too that you picked out colorado from my list.
Are you a Jehovah’s witness who only reads certain Bible verses?
What about Tech, boise(twice), ASU(twice), Okie state(twice), clemson and Ohio state(future)???
LL2
February 29th, 2012
2:08 pm
DawginLex
Just pulled up Alabama out of conference schedule over the years. With a quick glance:
Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, UCLA, USC, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State ……
Lakedawg
February 29th, 2012
2:09 pm
Lets not forget that the Dawgs play at Florida every year plus playing Tech home and home. Going to 9 would prevent Dawgs from ever playing Clemson or Ohio State currently set for home and home.
Would be suicide to play 3 home SEC games and 6 on road one year. If Florida moved to home and home or drop Tech only way to go to 9.
Kiss National Champioship good bye, because no one will 9 plus the SEC game in same year.
Hope league sticks with 8 for Dawgs sake.
Fumblin' Bumblin'
February 29th, 2012
2:11 pm
I still don’t understand Mizzou in the East.
LL2
February 29th, 2012
2:11 pm
DawginLex “Using LSU and Bama as the poster children for tough OOC scheduling is a joke.”
Keep drinking the kool-aid. I’ve read enough of your homer posts.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:15 pm
no you haven’t and even if you have read them you are too stupid to interpret them especially since I have openly commented on my high expectations for Richt and UGA in 2012
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
February 29th, 2012
2:23 pm
Old Doglexxie is such a joke. He can’t handle Alabama at all nor LSU but Bama really gets his goat. Keep wishing Lexxie but the fact today just as yesterday and that is UGA sucks at football. Big Hat and not Cattle.
logandawg
February 29th, 2012
2:25 pm
Why not switch Auburn to the East and Tennessee to the west? Seems most logical.
Dawgdad (The Original)
February 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
Go with the Nine game schedule. McGarrity wants to many cupcake games, he forgets that GT and Vandy are cupcakes on the schedule every year anyway.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
wet willie, a continuous disgrace to a fine southern band
Nothing gets my goat on here, especially a idiot like you who can’t get out of his own way.
Whiskey Breath
February 29th, 2012
2:32 pm
The question is does Ga really have any rivalries? Is Auburn really a rivalry? Neither team carries the loss with them if they lose. Ga and Auburn are kissing cousins. The hate is just not there and you really need some good ole healthy hate to call it a rivalry.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
February 29th, 2012
2:38 pm
Lexxie…I will show you our trophy’s if you show us UGA’s! I rest my case.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:39 pm
willie you big goofy idiot, we all have heard your rant a 1,000 times yet you continue to post it!!!!!!!!!
how stupid are you?
VERY
WnE
February 29th, 2012
2:44 pm
Honestly, BCS-level Teams should NEVER play D1-AA Teams.
I hope that All Conferences that are 14 Teams or more will play TEN conference games.
With a 12 game schedule, 10 conference game still leaves you 2 games to play any OOC rivalries that are necessary.
With the price of Tickets going up and the TV dollars sky-rocketing the colleges should EARN that money by playing better schedules.
When a playoff comes around, hopefully with 6-teams and the top 2 seeds getting byes, then NCAA should also institute a rule that D1-A will no longer be allowed to play D1-AAs.
It makes no sense for BCS-level teams to play D1-AAs given the prices that are being charged for tickets.
The more games that the Conferences play with each other, the better it is for the Fans, more quality games will be available for broadcast.
With 120+ D1-A Programs there should be no need for a D1-A team to ever schedule a D1-AA Team.
huddie ledbetter
February 29th, 2012
2:49 pm
If they put Alabama and Auburn in the East and move Vandy and Mizzou to the West – problem solved for the two games that matter and it makes more sense geographically
Mobile Dawg
February 29th, 2012
2:49 pm
Lex, got to jump in here. I can easily be a Dawg Fan and not a Richt supporter. Was a fan long before Richt, and will be one when he’s gone, “God willing”. The bookend season we had last year along with his personnel decisions just strengthened my position that he’s just not that good a “coach”. He doesn’t have the “it” factor, never will, IMO.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
February 29th, 2012
2:49 pm
Dawglex…I think you’re about 27-30? Never played a down of football just a wannabe punk. I may missed the age but no doubt about the rest. Enjoy the Music City Bowl or Tampa.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
2:49 pm
Greg McGarity, just does not get it.
Extension for Mark Richt should have been a priority prior to Signing Day and as we saw on Signing Day, many of the top recruits were waiting to see if Greg McGarity was going to give it to Mark Richt and to Todd Grantham. When nothing had happened, we lost top recruits and left us short – with only 77 on Scholarship despite over-signing by 24 at 109 to our 85-Scholarship Limit.
We may never catch up on that. Now, everyone expects Mark Richt to give them away to multiple years to walk-ons. Walk-ons who like all the previous walk-ons, Mark Richt gave Scholarships to last year for example, never step foot on the field on offense or on defense.
Thanks a lot Greg McGarity.
Greg McGarity does want to keep the game in JAX. So, there is a good home game every other year, we continue to give up – one under what the vols’ get every year as a direct result.
Greg McGarity wants to maintain all these cupcakes he continues to schedule for us.
Now, he is positioning himself that he will allow the league to vote 4-10 to cancel Auburn.
Like we cancelled Climpsum.
And, we keep cupcake Georgia tek, instead.
Greg McGarity was not a very good tennis player for us.
He has been abysmal as our Athletics’ Director.
Former tennis player and not a good one at that.
All this cash 2nd most in the nation, and he cannot build us an indoor football practice facility with the whole field.
And, our basketball gym, stuck with a gym not considered in the top 75 gyms in the nation, where no one has allowed us to host a single basketball tournament game since 1971. 42 years since our gym was considered for hosting a basketball game.
Greg McGarity, try saying something correctly – for once.
Sir.
Auburn – Georgia is not going away. It is the oldest Rivalry in The South.
What’s so hard about saying that Greg McGarity ?
Do nothing Athletics’ Director.
Thank you Bill for discussing all this, and our Do Nothing Athletics’ Director.
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH
February 29th, 2012
2:49 pm
“UGA’s McGarity between rock and hard place on SEC scheduling”
Yeah, when you keep scheduling cupcake teams….
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:50 pm
any athletic director at a D-1AA school will disagree with you because playing the big boys for a paycheck is the financial lifeblood for the smaller school
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH
February 29th, 2012
2:50 pm
“willie you big goofy idiot”
Grow up.