ShareThisA Southeastern Conference transition committee is at work on a new football schedule to accommodate Texas A&M and Missouri for 2012 and beyond.
I have a suggestion:
Call the Pac-12 and follow its advice. Do it now.
Off the top, I acknowledge that my suggestion is almost certain to fall on deaf ears. Too bad for you, fans.
The Pac-12 plays a nine-game league schedule and still manages to include attractive nonconference games. I'm afraid that plan has as much chance of being adopted by the SEC as Austin Peay does of being the 15th member.
From all indications, the SEC will stick with an eight-game schedule even as it grows from 12 to 14 teams.
For the past few years, the SEC has gone with a 5-2-1 format. You play your five divisional games, one permanent crossover "traditional" rival and two games against rotating cross-divisional schools.
Alabama is Tennessee's traditional rival from the West. Thus, Tennessee fans go a five-year span without seeing LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
Missouri joins the Eastern Division and becomes an annual opponent for Tennessee. Excited about seeing Texas A&M, Vols fans? It could take you 10 years.
It appears the 5-2-1 format will become 6-1-1 in the 14-team league in 2012. If so, the span between seeing old rivals doubles from five years to 10, assuming the rotation is on a home-and-home basis.
The Vols won't play LSU for 10 years. Alabama and Florida won't play for 10 years. Heisman winners will come and go and you won't see them.
What good is having members in a league if you never (or rarely) see them?
A nine-game schedule would be preferable. The ACC, also expanding from 12 to 14, reportedly is leaning toward a nine-game schedule. The 12-team Big Ten will go to nine games beginning in 2017.
The Big 12, a 10-team league, already plays a nine-game, true round-robin schedule.
There are arguments against the SEC adding an extra league game.
It means some teams get five home games in a given year, others only four. So what? It hasn't discouraged the other leagues.
It means giving up the revenue of a home game in the years you play five SEC road games. So what? See above. With the recent TV contracts, isn't there an unprecedented abundance of cash flowing in already?
The SEC is already tough enough. Adding an extra Pac-12 game is one thing, but adding an extra SEC game is another. OK, there's some validity to that one. But the greater good should prevail.
The greater good is giving fans an attractive schedule.
Here's where the Pac-12 gets special credit: Check out the nonconference schedules. If you play nine league games, the tendency would be to use the other three openings for directional cupcakes.
Southern Cal's three nonconference opponents in 2011 are all BCS teams: Notre Dame, Minnesota and Syracuse. Oregon State played Wisconsin and BYU. UCLA played Texas and unbeaten Houston. Oregon played LSU. Arizona State played Missouri and Illinois. Washington played Nebraska.
So, SEC, give your fans what they deserve. Play nine conference games and schedule at least one marquee nonconference opponent. If you want to use your other two games for Eastern Virginia and Northwestern Kentucky, go for it.
But first do the right thing.
(Contact Mike Strange at strangem(at)knoxnews.com)
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