SEC again considering nine-game league schedule weighing revenue, College Football Playoff access

DESTIN, Fla. — The SEC is again contemplating an expanded conference football schedule with an aim of increasing revenue as the entire college athletics enterprise faces new financial challenges. Though the SEC has already decided to run eight-game schedules for the next two seasons, several programs originally against the prospect of increasing schedules are more open than ever before on the concept of playing nine league games starting in 2026, sources tell CBS Sports.

The motivation for adding a a ninth SEC game comes as major college athletics is set to institute a new revenue-sharing program with players as soon as the fall of 2025. Expenses are estimated to approach $30 million annually, and as such, programs are scrambling to find new pockets of revenue.

The SEC nearly pushed for a nine-game vote last year at its annual spring meetings in Destin. Instead, last fall, it opted to dissolve conference divisions and adopt a new eight-game schedule for the 2024 and 2025 seasons as new members Texas and Oklahoma join the conference.

Discussions were reopened earlier this month between SEC leadership and broadcast partner ESPN. The Disney-owned network communicated to SEC leaders that an additional eight games in its media package could fetch nearly $5 million per school annual, but several SEC athletic directors believe they can receive a higher payout, sources told CBS Sports.

Value could fluctuate as ESPN owns broadcast rights of all nonconference home games that might be canceled in favor of an expanded league schedule. Would Arkansas’ home game against Notre Dame in 2025 be less valuable compared to a ninth SEC game? Fewer nonconference games, depending on their strength, could drop the total additional revenue per school to less…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sec-again-considering-nine-game-league-schedule-weighing-revenue-college-football-playoff-access/

Author : Brandon Marcello

Publish date : 2024-05-30 22:36:52

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