SEC Football: Arkansas among schools not interested in extra conference game

Ahead of the SEC Spring Meeting beginning on Tuesday, March 30 five athletic departments are not in favor of a proposed nine-game conference schedule.

With Oklahoma and Texas joining the ‘toughest conference in America’ the popularity among the masses was to move to pods, a nine game schedule and remove divisions. For now, it looks like certain programs are not all-in as it seems for what would be a tougher schedule.

If you look around the country the PAC 12, Big 10 and Big 12 already play a nine game conference schedule each season. The Big 10 don’t schedule FCS programs in during non-conference play either. It shows that there are SEC schools still looking for a rent-a-win to boost their win totals for bowl selection.

Solid non-conference slate

One thing the SEC does well is scheduling a Power Five school during non-conference play. This season Arkansas plays BYU who is a new member to the Big 12 this season. Other feature games include LSU playing Florida State, Florida at Utah, South Carolina-Clemson, Texas A&M-Miami and Alabama hosting Texas.

Hogs haven’t faced Vandy much

The complaint around the conference has been the lack of playing other SEC schools on a regular basis. Since joining the conference in football beginning 1992, the Arkansas Razorbacks have played Vanderbilt a total of seven times in 31 seasons. Arkansas has only faced Florida a total of nine times since their first conference matchup in 1996.

Out of those nine games only one has taken place in Fayetteville since 2009. The Razorbacks drew the short straw during the 2020 10-game conference season due to Covid-19. Arkansas had Georgia as the home season opener and a very stout Florida team on the road.

Group of five…and more?

Could that be why Arkansas has included themselves in the group of conference schools wanting to keep an 8-game concurrence schedule? The SEC has treated the Razorback athletic program as the red headed stepchild for too long and now they fight back!

Arkansas isn’t alone as Alabama (Saban not pleased with three permanent opponents), Mississippi State, South Carolina and Kentucky support the schedule remaining at eight games. Ole Miss remains ‘on the fence’, according to Brandon Marcello.

This type of schedule would see one permanent opponent annually while facing seven other opponents that rotate each season. That means every athlete will play each SEC school at least one in their college career.

How will this end? If you were a university president or athletic director how would you vote when it comes to conference scheduling?