Would the SEC be more willing to move to nine conference games if ESPN paid up?
According to the Athletic, the network would be willing to add money to its media rights deal with the conference if the SEC adds a conference game to its schedule.
There is no formal offer yet, those sources added, and the exact amount of the increase is unclear. But the sources said the additional money would likely be in the range of $50-80 million annually on top of the current deal, in which ESPN pays the conference $811 million per year to broadcast its sporting events. Both ESPN and the SEC declined to comment.
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The SEC has stayed at eight conference games as the College Football Playoff has expanded. You can get the reasoning; the conference touts itself as the deepest in the country and an extra non-conference game for teams can be easier than a game against a conference opponent. Is a 9-3 team with home win over Akron really better than an 8-4 team with a road loss at Georgia?
However, the possibility to eventually go to nine conference games has existed for a while. And may also depend on how the playoff format shakes out. Currently, the top five conference champions and the top seven at-large teams in the CFP rankings make the field but the format is not set in stone for future seasons.
Commissioner Greg Sankey has publicly said he believes the conference should go to a nine-game schedule … with a caveat. In a March appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, Sankey added that the conference shouldn’t add a game to teams’ schedules “if that causes us to lose opportunities.”
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You can understand why ESPN would be willing to pay more for extra conference games too. The network saw big ratings in the first year of its exclusive deal with the conference in 2024 and more games between SEC schools equals more opportunities for marquee matchups. Right now, teams play just over half of the other teams in the conference every year.
Another roadblock to a nine-game schedule could be a potential scheduling deal with the Big Ten. The Big Ten already has its teams play nine conference games, but the two power conferences could potentially embark on an agreement to have non-conference games between SEC and Big Ten opponents every season. In that scenario, ESPN would have the TV rights to all SEC home games against Big Ten opponents, but Fox, CBS and NBC would televise games at Big Ten stadiums
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