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
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH
February 29th, 2012
2:51 pm
“playing the big boys for a paycheck”
UGA is still in pee wee mode. They haven’t beaten a quality opponent in 3 years.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:51 pm
Riiiight wet willie, you have me pegged.
God you are dumb
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
2:52 pm
Enter your comments here
huddie ledbetter
February 29th, 2012
2:52 pm
Having said the above, which probably wouldn’t happen anyway, I don’t have a problem with 9 conference games which would mean giving up a cupcake which nobody cares to see anyway.
Mobile Dawg
February 29th, 2012
2:55 pm
One cupcake per year is enough, period. Nine conference games, GT, one cupcake, one OOC option, and one bye week equals an exciting season with a couple of breaks if properly scheduled.
Nub
February 29th, 2012
2:59 pm
Enter your comments here
The Most Interesting Man in the World
February 29th, 2012
3:15 pm
I don’t talk to Alabama fans much. But when I do, I have to repeat everything I say.”
Stay obnoxious my friends
Joel . Jonewas
February 29th, 2012
3:18 pm
Does anyone remember when Ga.Tech was a member of the SEC, and when SC was’nt? Although it has been many years, I have always thought that SC should still be in the ACC, and GTech should be in the SEC. I like the idea of instate rivalries such as Ga. and GT.
Whiskey Breath
February 29th, 2012
3:20 pm
Let’s face it Dogs, you guys love playing cupcakes. It has always been the Ga way. You like it because
you can beat your chest and brag for months about it. The biggest one you guys love to beat your chest
is Vanderbilt. You are the only team in NCAA history that has gotten in a fight with Vanderbilt.
You don’t like tough games because the record says you have a good chance of losing.
So beat your chest after beating cupcakes, most people just consider that being a punk.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
3:27 pm
Which one is the cupcake ?
3-09 Buffalo bills
1-11 Florida Atlantic
5-07 vols
6-07 Vandie
5-07 Kentucky
0-00 Georgia Southern 1-AA FCS
2-10 Ole Miss
Mizzou ? Is that the one Cupcake ?
Georgia tek ? Is that the one Cupcake ?
I see Nine (9) Cupcakes, don’t you ?
7-6 Florida, is that a Cupcake also, again ?
That’s Ten (10) Cupcakes
Auburn ? You all said all this time last year how bad Auburn was going to be and they didn’t end up ranked either, in any poll.
Good Heavens, we play 11 cupcakes
Reality Check
February 29th, 2012
3:28 pm
Interesting how the Georgia/GT rivalry shifted with the integration of the black athlete. Look at the timing and draw your own conclusion
Mobile Dawg
February 29th, 2012
3:33 pm
I see six “should be’ sure wins, of the rest we should take three, I see potential losses to UF, AU, and USC. We could end up anywhere from 8-4 to 12-0 regular season.
UGA and Auburn . A REAL rivalry
February 29th, 2012
3:33 pm
I supect that 80% of the UGA alumni, which i am one, would much prefer dropping the Tech game in order to maintain our fabulous, very colorful, easy to reach both stadiums, football game. We do battle for the same SEC caliber kids, we intermarry and we end up with our kids attending the other school,etc and we are SEC cousins. I love stomping Auburn like this past year. I love it.
Tech is Tech and that game is boring. We have nothing in common with GT and in fact, their older almuni, my age, would FILL UP BDS@HGF with games vs Alabama, Auburn, UT and LSU and Florida,etc. Their real movers and shakers would love to be in the SEC but they are not, as they ran away in the late 60s to boost recruiting as an independent. How did that work out GT??
Georgia helps Tech more in football than we benefit. DUMP GT. AN idea whose time has come.
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
3:38 pm
Georgia helps Tech more in football than we benefit. DUMP GT. AN idea whose time has come.
While I agree that the game is pointless and should be dropped, i’m not sure how UGA helps GT in any way.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
3:39 pm
I agree Dump Georgia tek
Keep Auburn
What the heck is this losses to
Auburn an 8-5 team not ranked any poll
Florida a 7-6 team not ranked any poll
We start the season out ranked # 6 in the nation in all the polls, and we are going to lose to teams like this ?
This is where we are as a football program, that we run online and post that we are losing to 2 teams 2012 who just when 7-6 and 8-5, we as the # 6 team ourselves.
Rabun Dawg
February 29th, 2012
3:40 pm
Dawginlex, it is not our job to prop up the bank accounts of the smaller schools. Get rid of the cupcakes, who wants to have to pay for the likes of Buffalo, Directional Whoever, or the like. You had better believe we stay home on those days. Go to nine so we can play the Bamas, LSUs, etc. more often. Win or lose, you get your monies worth seeing the conference teams as opposed to the cupcakes. And, I too can be a loyal Dog fan and not have to be a huge fan of an Aaron Murray or a Mark Richt! Just saying…
Ed Pilcher
February 29th, 2012
3:41 pm
If we must drop a game, then drop GT. It’s not even a rivalry anymore. UGA/AU is a much closer rivalry and is much more entertaining, to boot.
Mobile Dawg
February 29th, 2012
3:42 pm
You of all people “Thomas Brown” should know with the brilliant tacticians that would be Richt and Bobo we’re capable of showing up unprepared on any occasion.
6-18 Against Ranked Teams Since '05
February 29th, 2012
3:42 pm
@DawginLex
“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?”
Simple……I’m a proud American, but can’t stand Obama……same analogy. Richt is doing the same to UGA as Obama is doing to USA…..get it????
As for UGA going 10-0 in the SEC….I don’t think you need to worry about that scenario under Richt. And what are the chances you lose to a cupcake while going 10-0 in the SEC……use your brain DawginLex
dogSTILE
February 29th, 2012
3:43 pm
The word on the ‘internet dirt sheets” is that Georgia is looking to get out of the Tech game and go to every other year / rotating home series with the Jackets. Who can blame the dogs? They already treat Tech like a red headed step child.
Mobile Dawg
February 29th, 2012
3:46 pm
Some of you really need to get your heads out. Seriously, we play “three” cupcakes this year, plus Vandy, UK, Ole Miss, GT. Go to nine and we still have one cupcake, GT, Vandy, UK, and Ole Miss. What are you afraid of?
Mobile Dawg
February 29th, 2012
3:48 pm
Really, who wants to play Tech when you can play the likes of FA, Buffalo, and “respectfully” GS. Next years schedule is really pathetic.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
3:49 pm
I did not say lose to a cupcake OOC. I said lose to a top notch OOC team which is who you want us to play.
And I’m glad you are the resident nostradamus here and can predict the future.
I love how I get called a kool aid drinker and a homer because I support the team.
i have also posted numerous times that my expectations for 2012 are 11-1 or 12-0 and an SEC title and that I want a platoon of murray and Lemay in some form or fashion.
Yet I’m a kool aid drinker.
Rabun Dawg
February 29th, 2012
3:54 pm
GTBob, I will have to agree with you on your last post. That is, just how does UGA help Tech out by playing that game? While I agree with most of the Gentleman’s recent post, not sure I do understand that part. Having grown up in Atlanta and having family members attending Tech, I loved the rivalry at one time, but can’t really see that it does benefit either of us by keeping the game. All of this conference expansion has thrown a ” monkey wrench” in many ways, but lest we forget, it is all about the money and TV at this stage. Really a shame that Tech is not in the SEC, and for that matter USC East not in the ACC. Texas A&M and Missouri in the Southeastern Conference? What a joke!
ChattaDawg
February 29th, 2012
3:55 pm
9 SEC games + SEC Championship Game = SEC Champion gets Automatic Bid every year to National Championship game no matter the ranking!
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
3:57 pm
“with the brilliant tacticians that would be Richt and Bobo, that we’re capable of showing up unprepared on any occasion”
_________________________________________________________
Yes, just because we have Lost 30 games the current 8-year period with lesser or equal talent to ourselves at game time, doesn’t mean that I am going into a season ranked # 6 as we are and will be all season long, and think that we are going to lose to 7-6 Florida or 8-5 Auburn.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
4:00 pm
I certainly get it.
But, I don’t see any Republican to vote for either.
Obama and Mark Richt have both run everything down in the ground, and Greg McGarity has done nothing but make it worse.
This yet another example.
Greg McGarity should have issued a statement that the Georgia – Auburn Game as The South’s Oldest Rivalry is not going away.
Get rid of some of the other 11 cupcakes, like the 9 I listed before I listed Auburn.
Georgia tek is a prime example.
Georgia tek cares about nothing but beating us.
They could go 0 wins on the season, as long as they beat us.
Nothing to gain, everything to lose.
RxDawg
February 29th, 2012
4:01 pm
As a fan, I love the idea of 9 conference games. But I do get why the coach and AD are against it. But another real question is are our in state out of conference rivalries in jeapordy? Would they cancle Tech, Clemson/USC, UF/FSU?
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:07 pm
Georgia tek cares about nothing but beating us.
They could go 0 wins on the season, as long as they beat us.
This is a load of crap. GT doesn’t care nearly as much as UGA fans pretend they do.
Reality Check
February 29th, 2012
4:07 pm
There are many at Tech who would like to end the series as well. Never seen a more arrogant fan base visit BDS.
Beast from the East
February 29th, 2012
4:10 pm
I think we need to go to a 9 game conference schedeule. I also think UF/UGA will need to be moved to home and home or either the UF/FSU and UGA/GT annual games discontinued. Too little flexibility with an annual nuetral site game and an annual in-state/OOC team. Those are the 2 reasons UF and UGA have to schedule so many cupcakes. They need the 7 home games for financial reasons.
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:11 pm
Really a shame that Tech is not in the SEC, and for that matter USC East not in the ACC.
I think being in different conferences does really hurt rivalries. Usually when GT plays UGA there is no importance outside of bragging rights. If that is the only thing worth playing for then the luster of the game is going to wear off over time. Its the same with USC/Clemson, and Florida/Fla St. That’s why I think there is a real threat to these games ending. Eventually someone will ask, what are we trying to save?
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
4:11 pm
GTBob
You can’t possibly believe what you just wrote???
It is on the sled on the practice field
It is in your fight song
It is in the goals of every Tech team preseason
It has been said time and time again by your fanbase and alumni “Go 1-11 and beat Georgia and I’m happy.”
To deny it is the ultimate lie.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
4:12 pm
Excuse me GT Boob,
That is all you have ever written on here – how badly you want to beat Georgia.
Inbred Dawg
February 29th, 2012
4:15 pm
College football’s endless search for more money is jeopardizing the very rivalries that made college football popular (and profitable) in the first place. College football just didn’t know when to stop, and it has hit the zenith of its popularity. The inevitable decline is coming.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
4:16 pm
GTBob February 6th, 2012 3:40 pm
“Awe, Stinger2 is trying to make friends on the UGA blog. How cute. If you aren’t against UGA all the time then you aren’t a GT fan, so quit pretending to be.”
________________________________________________________
Which is it GT Boob ?
DawginLex caught you in another of your lies GT Boob.
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:19 pm
To deny it is the ultimate lie.
So you agree with Thomas that if we went 1-11 that we would be happy with our season? In reality it is our most important non conference game and has a little more importance then a few of the conference games as well. Usually by the time we play we have already ruined our season and don’t care much anymore.
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:20 pm
Which is it GT Boob ?
DawginLex caught you in another of your lies GT Boob.
Find one example of me saying that beating UGA is very important to me. I really really hate UGA, on levels much higher then football. The game at this point is just a tiny part of it.
dawgfan
February 29th, 2012
4:20 pm
“There are many at Tech who would like to end the series as well. Never seen a more arrogant fan base visit BDS.”
That’s because you rarely face teams in BDS (a.k.a. Mark Richt Stadium) that have beaten you like a drum for the better part of 3 decades like UGA has. We have every right to be arrogant until your joke program can beat us with any shred of consistancy. It seems to me that your angst is misdirected Techie. If you have a problem with UGA arrogance maybe you need to take that up with Tech’s administration and coaching staff. They are the ones responsible for making Ga Tech football competitive, not us. Don’t come over here crying to us because you can’t beat UGA and we’re arrogant about it. Its not our problem. Its YOUR problem Techie.
Tech doesn’t care about beating UGA. They just care about having their excuses. As long as they’ve got all their excuses and myths to use as a crutch to make everyone feel sorry for them they could care less what happens on the field. If they cared about beating UGA they wouldn’t be constantly kissing Paul Johnson’s backside. He’s 1-3 against UGA but has done no wrong in the eyes of Tech fans. Tech fans demand nothing but mediocrity out of their football program and then go crying like little girls when opposing fans are arrogant. They act like everything is completely out of their hands and they are victims. Its nothing but a straight up loser mentality down on The Flats and as a native Georgian I’m embarassed to be assoiciated with it.
Class dismissed.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
4:21 pm
“it is our most important non conference game and has a little more importance then a few of the conference games as well.”
_____________________________________________________
Like I said, DawginLex caught you in another of your lies.
Try reading these 3 quotes by you GT Boob
You cannot even agree with yourself, one post to the next.
Dawg1
February 29th, 2012
4:25 pm
Nothing to discuss. Go to a nine game conference schedule. I cannot imagine losing Auburn/Georgia.
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:26 pm
Like I said, DawginLex caught you in another of your lies.
How did I lie? You insinuated that GT fans care about nothing else every year except that one game. I said that is a load of crap. Prove me wrong.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
4:27 pm
thanks Beast
But don’t worry about it. It will never change on here.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
4:28 pm
“I really really hate UGA”
____________________
That’s exactly what DawginLex just told you about yourself.
Think about it.
You spend your entire day, everyday, on our blog trying to get all of us to talk about Georgia tek.
You are a worthless school, of 29 percent women (0 ladies), 33 percent Asian males, who is on NCAA PROBATION back-to-back repeat offenders in FOOTBALL and are 1-11 vs our current coach.
So, you run in here with your football players unable to graduate Georgia tek like we graduate our football players and announce that you HATE US REALLY REALLY BADLY.
You personally are nothing but a LIAR.
You have zero interest in anything to do with anything.
You are a person never been anywhere and never going anywhere, who is CONSUMED with HATRED
of a school who does FAR BETTER than the school you purport to be rooting for daily in here, every minute of every day.
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:29 pm
Class dismissed.
I’m not sure UGA fans have any idea what class is. Either in the educational definition or otherwise.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
4:31 pm
Prove me wrong
*******************
go to any Tech site like stingtalk or anything else with just Tech people and give me the percentage of blog handles that reference something to do with UGA in a negative way
I guarantee you it is well above 50%
And yes, TB and I and others on here understand perfectly what class dismissed means from our days in Athens
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:33 pm
You are a person never been anywhere and never going anywhere, who is CONSUMED with HATRED
Well, you were right for once. I have a lot of hatred and I am not going anywhere. Get used to it. And I rarely ever bring up GT. I bash UGA and your only defense is to shoot back at GT. If you don’t want to talk about GT then don’t bring it up.
DawginLex
February 29th, 2012
4:34 pm
Just so you will be happy GTBob
a little tidbit for you……
I have to leave the blog and get back to work.
The fries are burning.
Thomas Brown
February 29th, 2012
4:36 pm
GTBob February 6th, 2012 3:40 pm
“If you aren’t against UGA all the time then you aren’t a GT fan, so quit pretending to be.”
________________________________________________________
There is your proof.
GTBob
February 29th, 2012
4:36 pm
give me the percentage of blog handles that reference something to do with UGA in a negative way. I guarantee you it is well above 50%
Just went to Stingtalk, read the top thread, there wasn’t a single handle that referenced UGA at all in any of its 5 pages.