Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI
Oliver and his buddy Nick are right. I'd rather be playing Ole Miss for a home opener than Toledo. I also like the idea of rotating through all the west opponents rather than playing LSU every year.--On Wed, May 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM, mail.bobparks.com <oliver@bobparks.com> wrote:
For once I am in complete agreement with Nick Saban. Play somebody good and you'll fill the stadium.
Oliver Barry, CRS, GRIReal Estate Broker
Begin forwarded message:From: Shane Ford <goufgators@bellsouth.net>
Date: May 29, 2013, 7:14:39 AM CDT
To: GatorNEWS <gatornews@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: Eight-game SEC slate popular among coaches
Reply-To: gatornews+owners@googlegroups.com--Eight-game SEC slate popular among coaches
By Robbie Andreu
Gainesville SUN Staff writerPublished: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 7:59 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 7:59 p.m.
SANDESTIN — Alabama's Nick Saban pretty much stands alone in the SEC (and the rest of the college football world) with where he has his back-to-back national championship program at the moment.
And, he apparently stands close to alone among his league coaching peers with his stance on a potential nine-game SEC football schedule in the future.
Most of the other coaches at the SEC Spring Meetings seem to think eight is enough.
Saban begs to differ, saying nine is just right.
"I'm absolutely in the minority, no question about it," Saban said Tuesday. "But everybody has their reasons. The biggest thing we all need to do in some of these decisions we're making about who we play and what we do is: What about the fans?
"One of these days, they're going to quit coming to the games because they're going to stay at home and watch it on TV. Everybody's going to say, 'Why don't you come to the games?' Well, if you'd play somebody good, then we'd come to the games. That should be the first consideration. Nobody's considering them."
SEC commissioner Mike Slive said the football coaches and athletic directors had a "healthy" discussion about future scheduling Tuesday, and that talks will continue throughout the week.
"They're going to continue that discussion," Slive said. "I certainly don't think we'll come to any closure here, but it is my hope everybody will weigh in on the discussion and share with everybody here and then we'll see where we are Friday as to what the next step is.
"It's an important issue that we're going to give a lot of attention to."
The coaches certainly did Tuesday.
Saban said too many coaches wanting to stay at eight games are more concerned about winning games and getting bowl eligible, something that many teams could find significantly more difficult playing a nine-game SEC schedule.
"They're just thinking about, 'How many games can I win? Can I get bowl qualified? How many tough teams do I have to play?' " Saban said. "After coaching in the NFL for eight years, everybody in the NFL plays everybody in the NFL, and you lose some games.
"The Giants lost how many games and won the Super Bowl, six? I think it makes it more exciting if you don't have to do undefeated or just one game to be able to have a chance to qualify to play for something at the end."
Just like it was a year ago, future scheduling is a hot-button topic at the league's annual spring meetings.
Coaches were quick to express their opinions Tuesday, including Saban, who went against the grain again by pushing for a ninth league game.
"I've always been an advocate of nine games," he said. "I was probably the only person who spoke out for that a year ago. I just think if we increase the size of the league by 15 percent, then we really need to increase the number of games.
"There are people who want to keep their cross-division rivalries. I think every player should have the opportunity to play every school in his career. If you don't play two rotating games on the other side, that doesn't happen. I really don't think we should become a conference of just two divisions, where you just play your division and never play anybody on the other side. The Southeastern Conference is great."
With two schools (Texas A&M and Missouri) joining the league a year ago, the SEC adopted a 6-1-1 schedule format at these meetings a year ago. Each school plays six division games, one cross-division game and one permanent cross-division game. The current format will run through the 2014 season, and likely through 2015, Slive said.
This week the league will discuss possible changes, including going to a ninth game and keeping one permanent cross-division opponent.
Many of the league's 14 football coaches said they would like to see the SEC schedule hold at eight games in the future.
"Without question, eight," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. "For me, when you add a ninth game, that's seven more losses for our conference. We want to fill out our bowl slots. We want our kids to go. We want to represent our conference.
"Playing that ninth game would create more revenue, but it would also set us up for more losses. I'm in favor of playing the West for us and two rotators (with no permanent cross-division opponent).
"That is what I would push and vote for. I don't know how everyone else feels."
There are differing opinions.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and Vanderbilt's James Franklin said the schedule should stay at eight (in some form), citing the fact the league has won seven consecutive national titles with the eight-game format.
"Well, I think any coach who is going to speak truthfully and honestly, they prefer the eight," Bielema said. "I understand the reasons behind the nine. But a wise man once taught me, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
"The SEC obviously has figured it out the last several years, and the success they've had. I understand the world of college football changes dramatically in 2014. If they asked my opinion, I would hold the pattern from what it is through '14 and '15, kind of see where it is and if we need to adjust."
Franklin said he'll take a similar stance.
"The thing I'm pounding the table about is eight games," Franklin said. "That's in the best interest of the SEC. That's in the best interest of Vanderbilt.
"The SEC has won the last seven national championships with this model. We've got a pretty good model right now. The other thing is you look at Georgia, they have to play Georgia Tech. South Carolina has to play Clemson.
"You go to nine games and you've got two games left of flexibility. I think flexibility is the key."
Franklin said an eight-game schedule gives schools a better chance to build a schedule that better fits its short and long-term goals.
"Eight games allows everyone to have flexibility to solve their own problems," he said. "If you're worried about strength of schedule because you feel you have a team that can play for a national championship, go out and schedule the four toughest (non-conference) games in the country.
"If you're trying to build your program, it allows you to schedule the kind of games you need to do it."
Regardless what the coaches' consensus might be, where the league goes with scheduling ultimately rests in the hands of Slive.
"Commissioner Slive has shown over the course of time he's not afraid to make a decision in a certain amount of time and change things," Bielema said.
Contact Robbie Andreu at 352-374-5022 or andreur@gvillesun.com. Also check out Andreu's blog at Gatorsports.com.
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