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.
Advertisement
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.”
Advertisement
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
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Heart of Health Care 200 Highlights | NASCAR on FOX
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES Trending MLB NFL UFL NTT INDYCAR SERIES NASCAR LIV NBA PGA NCAABK NCAAFB
Knicks had a chance to be on the right side of NBA history. Now they have questions
NEW YORK — Slice it however you want, but the Knicks needed Game 3 just as much as the Celtics.Just like no team has ever come back from being down 0-3 in a playoff series, no team in NBA history has ever blown a 3-0 series lead. New York, up 2-0 going into Saturday’s game, had the chance to be on the right side of history. It was the Knicks, not the Celtics, who had the opportunity to pull out receipts and stick it to everyone who said they’d have no chance against the defending NBA champions. That should be enough motivation to come out ready to roll.AdvertisementAnd Saturday could have been a day of celebration. It could have been a moment for a franchise, a team and a passionate fan base to take in just how far they’ve come. […]
Joe Ryan, Twins shut down Giants for 7th straight win
May 10, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) pitches to San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (5) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Trevor Larnach hit a two-run homer and Joe Ryan tossed six innings of one-run ball as the Minnesota Twins held on for its seventh straight win, 2-1 over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday in Minneapolis. Larnach and Harrison Bader doubled for the only other extra-base hits for Minnesota, which climbed to .500 for the first time this season. Heliot Ramos went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run to lead San Francisco. Christian Koss singled for the Giants' only other hit. Ryan (3-2) gave up just two hits, struck out seven, walked none and threw 48 of 76 pitches for strikes. Giants right-hander Logan […]
FINAL LAPS: Carson Hocevar takes checkered flag at Heart of Health Care 200 | NASCAR on FOX
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES Trending MLB NFL UFL NTT INDYCAR SERIES NASCAR LIV NBA PGA NCAABK NCAAFB
Alex Palou makes it 4 wins in first 5 races with Sonsio Grand Prix title
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou (10) of Spain reacts with his daughter, Lucia, Saturday, May 10, 2025, after winning the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Spain's Alex Palou continued his dominance of the IndyCar Series by capturing the Sonsio Grand Prix title on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Ganassi Racing's Palou, who sat on the pole, flew across the finish line 5.48 seconds ahead of Pato O'Ward to become the first IndyCar Series driver since Sebastien Bourdais in 2006 to win four of the season's first five races. Palou also became the first driver to win the Grand Prix in Indianapolis three years in a row. "I cannot describe the amazing season we've had so far," Palou said. "I owe everything to the team, Chip Ganassi Racing, my teammates, everybody who is working behind […]
‘This is the fun part:’ Celtics rediscover their game, but the challenge is far from over
NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find many who actually believed the New York Knicks would take full advantage of the Boston Celtics apparently being on the ropes and issue a knockout punch after two shocking comeback wins on the road.That’s because the Celtics put themselves there and rope-a-doped the Knicks into falsified hope, that returning to a crazed Madison Square Garden was going to bring out the absolute best in the home team.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt almost feels annoying at this point. The defending champion Celtics are seemingly creating new challenges for themselves on the road to a repeat, that the mere competition of it isn’t enough.They’re like thrill seekers looking for the next high, seeing what trick they can pull off next.“And with our next feat, watch us quiet 20,000 loud and happy New Yorkers in one swoop!”It took approximately […]
Related
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Heart of Health Care 200 Highlights | NASCAR on FOX
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES Trending MLB NFL UFL NTT INDYCAR SERIES NASCAR LIV NBA PGA NCAABK NCAAFB
Knicks had a chance to be on the right side of NBA history. Now they have questions
NEW YORK — Slice it however you want, but the Knicks needed Game 3 just as much as the Celtics.Just like no team has ever come back from being down 0-3 in a playoff series, no team in NBA history has ever blown a 3-0 series lead. New York, up 2-0 going into Saturday’s game, had the chance to be on the right side of history. It was the Knicks, not the Celtics, who had the opportunity to pull out receipts and stick it to everyone who said they’d have no chance against the defending NBA champions. That should be enough motivation to come out ready to roll.AdvertisementAnd Saturday could have been a day of celebration. It could have been a moment for a franchise, a team and a passionate fan base to take in just how far they’ve come. […]
Joe Ryan, Twins shut down Giants for 7th straight win
May 10, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) pitches to San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (5) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Trevor Larnach hit a two-run homer and Joe Ryan tossed six innings of one-run ball as the Minnesota Twins held on for its seventh straight win, 2-1 over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday in Minneapolis. Larnach and Harrison Bader doubled for the only other extra-base hits for Minnesota, which climbed to .500 for the first time this season. Heliot Ramos went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run to lead San Francisco. Christian Koss singled for the Giants' only other hit. Ryan (3-2) gave up just two hits, struck out seven, walked none and threw 48 of 76 pitches for strikes. Giants right-hander Logan […]
FINAL LAPS: Carson Hocevar takes checkered flag at Heart of Health Care 200 | NASCAR on FOX
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES Trending MLB NFL UFL NTT INDYCAR SERIES NASCAR LIV NBA PGA NCAABK NCAAFB
Alex Palou makes it 4 wins in first 5 races with Sonsio Grand Prix title
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou (10) of Spain reacts with his daughter, Lucia, Saturday, May 10, 2025, after winning the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Spain's Alex Palou continued his dominance of the IndyCar Series by capturing the Sonsio Grand Prix title on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Ganassi Racing's Palou, who sat on the pole, flew across the finish line 5.48 seconds ahead of Pato O'Ward to become the first IndyCar Series driver since Sebastien Bourdais in 2006 to win four of the season's first five races. Palou also became the first driver to win the Grand Prix in Indianapolis three years in a row. "I cannot describe the amazing season we've had so far," Palou said. "I owe everything to the team, Chip Ganassi Racing, my teammates, everybody who is working behind […]
‘This is the fun part:’ Celtics rediscover their game, but the challenge is far from over
NEW YORK — You’d be hard-pressed to find many who actually believed the New York Knicks would take full advantage of the Boston Celtics apparently being on the ropes and issue a knockout punch after two shocking comeback wins on the road.That’s because the Celtics put themselves there and rope-a-doped the Knicks into falsified hope, that returning to a crazed Madison Square Garden was going to bring out the absolute best in the home team.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt almost feels annoying at this point. The defending champion Celtics are seemingly creating new challenges for themselves on the road to a repeat, that the mere competition of it isn’t enough.They’re like thrill seekers looking for the next high, seeing what trick they can pull off next.“And with our next feat, watch us quiet 20,000 loud and happy New Yorkers in one swoop!”It took approximately […]
Be the first to leave a comment