SEC commish Greg Sankey says rivalries received't be really everlasting on 9-game schedule – The Courier-Journal

How secure is the Iron Bowl from a brand new period of scheduling within the SEC?
From the sound of it, Alabama football and Auburn’s annual conflict appears a lot secure, together with different robust rivalries across the convention. However in line with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, all fastened video games on the league’s new scheduling format, which is able to embody rivalry video games, will probably be topic to evaluation.
“It isn’t everlasting. … these are annual rivalry video games and we have acknowledged that we’ll undergo a four-year cycle, then take an examination, look deeply,” Sankey mentioned.
The league has but to announce annual opponents for every faculty, however Alabama‘s most certainly candidates aren’t tough to determine: Auburn, Tennessee and LSU.
So whereas Alabama-Auburn is not going anyplace, what about Alabama-LSU? The Crimson Tide’s rivalry with Tennessee is rooted extra deeply in custom than its annual conflict with the Tigers. Therefore, if the league had been to alter Alabama’s annual opponents after the primary four-year cycle, the LSU sport would seemingly be the matchup in danger. Sankey mentioned the nine-game scheduling format, which is able to start in 2026, ought to present extra aggressive steadiness throughout all SEC schedules. The final season for the primary four-year cycle can be 2029.
“We perceive the significance of a few of these long-standing rivalries, and we’ll work to have as equitable a schedule as attainable, on condition that issues change competitively,” Sankey added.
Attain Tuscaloosa Information columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Observe on X @chasegoodbread.

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