SEC settles on 2024 football schedule with 8 games, long-term solution TBD - AL.com

At long last, the SEC has its football scheduling model for 2024 but not necessarily beyond.

The yearslong discussion of how to handle a 16-team league ended with at least a temporary solution with the eight-game plan beating the nine-game version. Exact details are not yet public as commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters Thursday in Destin there will be a June 14 schedule unveiling at primetime on the SEC Network.

The plan is a one-year stopgap for the SEC “as it continues to finalize a long-term strategy as a 16-team conference,” a league news release states.

The plan appears to be a hybrid of the previous options that reportedly keeps most marquee rivalries intact.

The Iron Bowl was never in danger but games like Alabama-Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia would lose annual status under the original eight-game plan. It’s unclear if they’ll be on the 2024 schedule.

“During this time of change, our fans will continue to enjoy traditional rivalries and begin to see new matchups presented by the addition of two historically successful football programs to the SEC,” Sankey said in a league news release. “Each school’s opponents for the 2024 season will be announced June 14 on a special primetime show on the SEC Network, and dates of games will be announced at a later date.”

A few other quick points on the 2024 scheduling format:

• There will no longer be divisions. The SEC championship game will pit the top two teams in the 16-team standings.
• The plan will allow each SEC school to play every other league team at least once every two years.
• The previous requirement to play at least one game against Power-5 conference teams remains in place.

All previously-schedule 2024 non-conference games can go on as scheduled.

For Alabama, those opponents include Western Kentucky, South Florida, Mercer and a road game at Wisconsin.

Auburn has games with California, New Mexico and Louisiana-Monroe currently on the books.

Coaches and administrators had been hesitant to jump into a nine-game league schedule without more information on how this increased difficulty level would be viewed by a playoff committee for what would be the first year of a 12-team bracket.

This post will be updated.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

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SEC settles on 2024 football schedule with 8 games, long-term solution TBD - AL.com
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