Adapt or die. That should be the slogan for college football these days. The games continue to be outstanding, which is bringing in more and more interest to the sport than ever before. However, some college football purists are less than thrilled to see money take precedence over ... precedence. One such purist who understands these major changes, but feels that way about it all is Hines Ward.
I spoke with Ward on behalf of Fairfield by Marriott ahead of the Georgia-Missouri game last Saturday. While we talked mostly about our beloved alma mater, Ward did tend to agree with me that rampant conference realignment is tearing away at the fabric of the sport we love so much. With the SEC expanding to 16 teams with Oklahoma and Texas coming aboard in 2024, huge changes are coming...
With the SEC shamelessly sticking to an eight-game conference schedule, only one traditional rivalry will be protected annually in the 1-7 format. Yes, this new scheduling model will allow for teams like Georgia to go to College Station for once, but this also means that secondary rivalries like Auburn-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee and Florida-LSU will no longer be annual affairs. Every two years then...
Ward says all of these changes are all about money, but sometimes, these things don't make sense.
"You know, the changing landscape of college football, the landscape is really all about money now, right? So you kind of lose out on those old traditions. I mean, just having Georgia-Auburn... I just thought like, that game would always be on the schedule, right? So to see that game come to an end, and any games like, Georgia-Tennessee is a big game. Definitely the Auburn-Georgia game..."
Ward recognizes what college football is: "A billion-dollar industry," so you have to keep that in mind.
"Unfortunately, it's really what college football has really evolved to. The game has become a billion-dollar industry. That's why all the teams that are trying to come to the SEC, is really about money."
I had a feeling he would feel some sort of way about the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry essentially being on life support after next season. This game and the Third Saturday in October cannot die, I am sorry.
"Unfortunately, the true purists, the true college fans that love seeing those traditional games, they're gonna be lost, but never forgotten. Of course, how can you forget the game where Uga tried to bite one of the Auburn players, right? ... Regardless of if you're a true Georgia Bulldog fan, you're always gonna remember that scene."
It is these secondary rivalries that helped make the SEC ... the SEC. Why would you ever destroy that?
"It's unfortunate, but you understand due to the game, the excitement of the game and the notoriety of college football. That's where the game is going, and it's more about money rather than the traditional games that you see."
The sooner the SEC adopts at 3-6, nine-game model, the better. It solves pretty much every problem the league has, outside of some degree with competitive balance and 4-5, home-road revenue splits.
Hines Ward wishes SEC would find a way to protect secondary rivalries
For those who don't understand what I'm talking about when I say a 1-7 format, it means each of the 16 SEC teams beginning in 2024 will have one permanent rival and will rotate the other 14 teams on a biennial basis, meaning you would get to play a home-and-home with each league member on a four-year cycle. Pretty cool, right? Well, a 3-6, nine-game schedule accomplishes that, and saves rivalries!
To make this simple, I will use Georgia as the example in this. In an eight-game, 1-7 format, Georgia's protected rivalry will obviously be Florida. Unfortunately, that would mean other annual games of significance such as the ones with Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee will go by the wayside. Yes, they will be played every other year, but that's not good enough. Every team has multiple rivalries...
If, and when, the league intelligently goes to the 3-6, nine-game format, Georgia's three protected rivalries will obviously be Florida, definitely Auburn, and probably South Carolina over Kentucky, since Georgia is arguably South Carolina's biggest rival, outside of in-state foe Clemson. The Dawgs would still get to play in Austin, Baton Rouge, College Station, Norman and Tuscaloosa every four seasons.
To solve any competitive balance issues, as some teams may have harder three-game opponents than others, the SEC league office can revisit each member's trio after a four-year cycle and then recalibrate. Like, if Georgia were to play a great few games with Missouri, and South Carolina circles the drain, that could be the Dawgs' and Tigers' third protected rivalry for an upcoming four-year cycle.
As far as the 4-5 home-road split, I do not have an answer for that. The best option could be to have one of these games be at a neutral site, or do what the NFL does and designate one conference getting the ninth home game a season in their 8-9, 17-game slate. Because the SEC does not have to implement a nine-game schedule right away, look for the SEC office to learn from the other leagues.
Overall, I could feel the pain in Ward's voice and see the expression on his face over how much the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry with Auburn means to him. You have to remember that when he was starring at UGA, SEC East division rivals Florida and Tennessee were cooking. The Dawgs rarely got the best of them, but that Auburn game, oh, that was a game both bitter rivals could regularly win.
I think the SEC will make the right decision for 2025, but I want the sport's purists to get their due.
Hines Ward spoke with FanSided on behalf of Fairfield by Marriott and The Home Field Advantage.
The former First-team All-SEC receiver teamed up with Fairfield by Marriott to bring The Home Field Advantage - a tailgate party for students, parents, athletes and alumni – to UGA before the Bulldogs took on Mizzou at Sanford Stadium.
As the newly announced Official Hotel of the NCAA, Fairfield believes all athletes and fans alike should enjoy the home field advantage wherever their team takes them – and that starts with a warm welcome at check-in.
