Make it four annual rivals, and you have me on board with the no divisions concept.

3 permanent plus 5 rotating let's everybody play everybody once within a two year span, and everybody at least once a home during a four year span.

Some rivlalries will suffer, but it would also lead to tons more interesting matchup that we almost never get to see currently.

For example, UGA might not get Tennessee every year (assuming Auburn, Florida, and SC as permanents), but they'll now get LSU, Alabama, and Texas A&M once every two years

(10-03-2018 07:00 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  Make it four annual rivals, and you have me on board with the no divisions concept.

(10-03-2018 09:36 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  3 permanent plus 5 rotating let's everybody play everybody once within a two year span, and everybody at least once a home during a four year span.

Some rivlalries will suffer, but it would also lead to tons more interesting matchup that we almost never get to see currently.

For example, UGA might not get Tennessee every year (assuming Auburn, Florida, and SC as permanents), but they'll now get LSU, Alabama, and Texas A&M once every two years

Gamecock is correct - although honestly you can have as many annual rivals as you decide upon, it just affects how often you can play everyone else. As it is right now, with divisions, you essentially have 6 in division + 1 annual cross division = 7 "rivals" plus 1 rotating among the other 6 teams. If we are being honest, though, is every team in your division REALLY a bigger rival than the ones you aren't playing every year in the other division?

Although I’m sure Gamecock is correct, I would still prefer four permanent opponents and let the rest rotate. Under that scenario, SC would probably get UGa, UF, UT, and probably UK, although Vandy could also be an option. Mizzou would probably get some picks they wanted, but mostly everybody’s leftovers (the infamous schlepping).


Actually, there could be a compromise between what I am wanting to do, and what Gamecock is wanting to do, and that is this: start with three permanent opponents first, have the teams review each season and see if they would be interested in adding a fourth a couple of years later. I feel that four permanent opponents is what the SEC needs ultimately, but it may take some time. At least this way, Mizzou might not get schlepped.

I think a 'divisionless' alignment would depend on how many schools are added and who precisely is added in the next round of expansion. They wouldn't consider a move like this with the current 14. Not sure they'd really think about it with 16 or 18, but that would be the opportunity for a shuffling.

It’s possible with 14 and I would be in favor.
3 annual rivals plus 5 every other year = 8 conference games
5 annual rivals plus 4 every other year = 9 conference games
I prefer the first option.

(10-04-2018 01:37 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  It’s possible with 14 and I would be in favor.
3 annual rivals plus 5 every other year = 8 conference games
5 annual rivals plus 4 every other year = 9 conference games
I prefer the first option.

5+4 might actually be my preference as well. For SC I am imagining

UF
UGA
UT
Vandy
Missouri

If Vanderbilt were to leave, the easiest and most likely replacement would be West Virginia.

East: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia

ACC Targets are tied up for another decade or so Big 12 options or nothing.

Geez, MoneyWise rates Vanderbilt's stadium as the worst in college football.

https://moneywise.com/a/ch-b/worst-stadi...l+Stadiums

(11-30-2018 09:01 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  Geez, MoneyWise rates Vanderbilt's stadium as the worst in college football.

https://moneywise.com/a/ch-b/worst-stadi...l+Stadiums

While it will not cost them their place in the SEC, their stadium remains a bone of contention with the Conference because it is not a place visiting crowds like to go, even though those from Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee will attend.

(11-30-2018 09:57 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-30-2018 09:01 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  Geez, MoneyWise rates Vanderbilt's stadium as the worst in college football.

https://moneywise.com/a/ch-b/worst-stadi...l+Stadiums

While it will not cost them their place in the SEC, their stadium remains a bone of contention with the Conference because it is not a place visiting crowds like to go, even though those from Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee will attend.

Wonder if Vanderbilt and the new Nashville MLS team would work on a new stadium together?

The new soccer specific stadium seats up to 30k with covering over some of the seats. Problem is it’ll be built at the fairgrounds a 5 minute drive from Vanderbilt’s stadium

(11-30-2018 11:11 PM)murrdcu Wrote:  

(11-30-2018 09:57 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-30-2018 09:01 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  Geez, MoneyWise rates Vanderbilt's stadium as the worst in college football.

https://moneywise.com/a/ch-b/worst-stadi...l+Stadiums

While it will not cost them their place in the SEC, their stadium remains a bone of contention with the Conference because it is not a place visiting crowds like to go, even though those from Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee will attend.

Wonder if Vanderbilt and the new Nashville MLS team would work on a new stadium together?

The new soccer specific stadium seats up to 30k with covering over some of the seats. Problem is it’ll be built at the fairgrounds a 5 minute drive from Vanderbilt’s stadium

That's fewer seats than Vandy's old stadium has and one of the issues with them is capacity.

Vanderbilt won’t be forced out of the SEC but perhaps they’ll be convin$ed that seeking membership elsewhere would be better for them.

(11-30-2018 11:24 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-30-2018 11:11 PM)murrdcu Wrote:  

(11-30-2018 09:57 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-30-2018 09:01 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  Geez, MoneyWise rates Vanderbilt's stadium as the worst in college football.

https://moneywise.com/a/ch-b/worst-stadi...l+Stadiums

While it will not cost them their place in the SEC, their stadium remains a bone of contention with the Conference because it is not a place visiting crowds like to go, even though those from Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee will attend.

Wonder if Vanderbilt and the new Nashville MLS team would work on a new stadium together?

The new soccer specific stadium seats up to 30k with covering over some of the seats. Problem is it’ll be built at the fairgrounds a 5 minute drive from Vanderbilt’s stadium

That's fewer seats than Vandy's old stadium has and one of the issues with them is capacity.

(From a lifelong local's perspective...)

John Ingram, a major Vandy donor (his whole family, actually) and the new owner of Nashville's MLS team was the major person pushing a dual MLS/Vandy football stadium because he knows he will probably end up funding two different stadiums otherwise. Of course, the city would line up with Ingram on this, and rightfully so. Memorial stadium currently sits on a plot of land that is probably worth about $10 million an acre, and that may be low. A 0.11 acre piece of commercial land with an old building on it just sold for $2.35 million.

However, I don't know another Vanderbilt person who cares even a bit about football who wants to move home field to the Fairgrounds. Vandy fans in general MAY attend a game if it is convenient, meaning they walk from their dorms/quaint homes around campus, have their driver drop them at the stadium (really), or park in their reserved parking spot. They hit the same little restaurants or fashionable tailgates and generally hover around Midtown (Vandy's at the heart of it). About the only times that Vandy fan leaves Midtown is for the occasionally trip downtown to the symphony center or southwest (Belle Meade) to play golf/equestrian/nature hikes in picturesque protected wildlife preserves, etc.

To make a short story long, the Fairgrounds location is about a 10 minute drive to the southeast of campus but a world away in light of a Vandy fan. Bus them over, you say? Vanderbilt fans do not ride buses. Luxury buses, then? Vanderbilt fans do not ride buses. Plus, there is literally nothing at the fairgounds that a Vandy fan could do before or after the game, and I am with them on that one. Unless City Council approves for the improvement of the area, namely high-end condos with the restaurants, clubs, and other services to go with it, a stadium there would never work for Vandy. The Fairgrounds has historically been an area that is proud of their rough and tumble neighborhood, and two diametrically opposed forces are somehow supposed to co-exist. Not happening as the area now stands.