the tweet is a trollbite carved out of larger narrative:
https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2024/nov/11/sam-pittman-playing-a-9-game-sec-schedule-would-be-ridiculous/?sports-college-razorbacks
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman does not support the idea of playing nine SEC games each season, he said Monday.
The league is exploring expanding the conference schedule from eight games to nine, which could increase the SEC's TV revenue.
As a new era of sharing revenue directly with athletes approaches, schools are looking for ways to increase revenue and decrease spending to prepare for a significant increase in expenses.
In 2023, with the league preparing to expand to 16 teams, the SEC chose to dissolve divisions and continue with an eight-game conference schedule for the 2024 season. In March, the SEC announced that model would hold for 2025 seasons.
However, 2026 and beyond could be different.
It's an idea Pittman called "ridiculous" when speaking with media ahead of the Razorbacks' game against Texas.
"You see what's going on now: You've got two-loss teams trying to get in the playoffs," Pittman said. "It wasn't broke before. [SEC teams] were playing for the national championship...forever in our league.
"To me, eight’s plenty....We don't need nine. Everybody would be limping into postseason play."
The topic of a nine-game schedule arose in Pittman's weekly press conference with the Razorbacks preparing to face old rival Texas, a playoff contender, on Saturday. Pittman was asked whether he'd like to see Arkansas play the Longhorns more often.
One possibility for a scheduling format with nine SEC games would be each team having three permanent opponents, with the other six rotating. Texas, Ole Miss and Missouri would be Arkansas' expected three permanent opponents as part of a nine-game schedule.
The Razorbacks will play only Missouri annually as part of an eight-game format.
"Well, our rivalries, we've got Missouri, we've got a [trophy] for LSU, we've got something else for [Texas] A&M," Pittman said. "We've got plenty of rivalries. To sit here and say, 'Oh, yeah. I want to play Texas every year.' But then who are you going to trade them for?"
A possible expansion of the College Football Playoff further complicates the matter of SEC scheduling. The 12-team format is set for at least this season and next season, but some leaders around the sport want to expand to 14 teams with 10 automatic qualifiers awarded to the major conferences.
A decision on expansion is not expected until at least January, according to CBS Sports, and the SEC is unlikely to make a decision on its scheduling model until after the playoff format is determined.
In addition to the potential for more TV money, the SEC is weighing how the College Football Playoff selection committee will view teams in leagues that play nine conference games — like the Big Ten and Big 12 — versus those like the SEC and ACC, which play eight.
Under the current format, some teams with eight conference games have tried to schedule tough nonconference games to strengthen their playoff resumes. Pittman said that could change if the SEC schedule expands.
"Something about college football, you [can] go out and play somebody that you've never played before," he said. "We're going to play Notre Dame next year. There's no way in the world you're going to schedule nine SEC games and Notre Dame. We might, but we shouldn't. By that time, you're playing the playoffs is what you're doing.
"I think most guys in the league would say nine would be too many."