SEC coaches ‘get it’ with format that ends some annual rivalries

The last time the LSU and Alabama spent an entire season without playing, the Tigers coach Brian Kelly was a young child and the Crimson Tide coach Kalen Deboer was not born for 11 years.

In six decades, this annual match experienced intense and dramatic moments, such as Kelly’s Gamble on a DIY conversion or 2 points to end overtime in 2022. Jayden Daniels connected to Mason Taylor, and delighted fans have spread to the Tiger Stadium.

As part of a new planning format published by the Southeast Conference this week, LSU and Alabama will not play in 2027 – the first time since 1963. And next season will be the first time since 1970 that Tigers will not play the Florida Gators.

“I understand,” said Kelly on Wednesday when he was asked how disturbing he could be disturbing for long -standing annual rivalries ended in the four -year calendar of the conference that was published on Tuesday.

But the LSU coach added that he also appreciates the goal of the dry to play the 16 teams at least once every two years, and how it could mean sacrificing certain popular matches.

“You will draw some of these natural rivalries, but you do not lose them for a long time,” said Kelly. “They succeeded and put it in a place that allows you to play everyone at home [within a four-year span]And I think it’s quite exciting. “”

Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin was less enthusiastic about at least one aspect of the new calendar.

Although he agrees with the maintenance of LSU and the state of the Mississippi on the rebels calendar each year, he said that the inclusion of Oklahoma as an annual advers was “disappointing” and “had no sense – at all”.

“We have nothing in common with them or our fans,” said Kiffin, whose program will lose Vanderbilt as an annual match on its calendar. “It’s unfortunate with so many major teams that we have played for a long time here.”

Each team obtained three “annual opponents” in the next four seasons, and they could potentially change after 2029.

“Our league has made a commercial decision,” said Florida coach Billy Napier, who was not yet born the last time that the Gators have not played LSU.

In the future, tailgate festivals serving alligators around Death Valley will occur once every four years instead of every two years. Again, whether good or bad is undoubtedly a matter of taste.

“Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages,” said Napier. “Some of these things are part of the evolution of the game, being part of the evolution of our conference when we add teams to the mixture.”

The SEC had the same 12 teams from 1991 to 2012, when Texas A&M and Missouri were added. In 2024, the oriental and western divisions were removed, and the league increased to 16 teams with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas.

Next year, the conference calendar goes from eight matches to nine.

“I love the game of LSU rivalry and it was certainly fun to play,” said Napier. “We have a big story there, but there will be a change that is accompanied by nine games, and I think our league has done a good job by forming this in a way where we are going to be exposed to each team.”

Some annual lights may never disappear: Alabama vs Auburn in Iron Bowl; Mississippi and Mississippi in the bowl of eggs; Georgia against Florida in the largest outdoor cocktail in the world; And the oldest rivalry of the South Deep between Georgia and Auburn are some examples.

The rivalry of the Red River will also remain an annual match, as is the renewed Lone Star confrontation between the Longhorns and the Aggies.

“The rivalries are counting. This is part of the tradition of this game – fans of fans pointing to these football matches,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “It was important for (the League) to try to protect some of these special games for universities and their bases of fans.”

But Tennessee will lose a popular annual match against neighboring Georgia which has become uninterrupted since 1992.

“There are probably people who are upset,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart. “It is a border rivalry. It is difficult to keep all traditional rivalries. You can only do many.”

In the information distributed between the media this week, the SEC said that even if it took into account geography and sought to maintain traditional rivalry games, other objectives included the increase in the frequency with which teams play all other schools in the league and the promotion of competitive balance in a way that could maximize every chances of the dry teams to qualify for the balance of university football games 12 teams.

“They watched all the possible scenarios,” said Kelly, “to find equity and equity.”