Speaking of diluting the annual SEC rivalries by adding conference teams...

LSU played Kentucky from 1952-2002, yet when the SEC went to the latest permanent cross division rival, LSU got…Florida

The history of the SEC is really one of groups, both natural and forced. For most of our existence, teams didn't always play each other very often. You just pointed out one example with GA.

We didn't even play the same number of games until like the late 70s when we standardized on 6 games while rotating with the rest. Lost a at least one conference championship because of the unbalanced schedules.

The SEC only had two brief periods where we seemed to be a single conference. The first was from 88-91. We played 7 games; 5 permanent and 2 rotating. Took 4 years to do home and away with whole conference.

Expansion killed that with the forced grouping and 2 permanent games. In 2002 we dropped one of the permanents and it only took 5 years to get through the conference.

The family feeling can come from two different approaches. We can continue to be separate groups for the most part and your family will be your group. You'll get used to them, but it ain't gonna be the same family as before.

The other way is to design it where you get to experience everyone frequently. You can do this with 16 teams easily. My favorite approach is the use of virtual pods; 9 games, 3 mutually agree common opponents, and rotate home and home with the remaining teams over 4 years.

Ironically, expansion gives us the best chance to come together again.

I don't remember playing Tennessee that much in the 60's/70's either.

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This is why the SEC needs to go to the POD system for scheduling.

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So you want LSU to sacrifice the amazing advantage LSU would gain by remaining in the current two division setup with the addition of adding Texas and OU to the SEC West and the moving of Auburn and Alabama into the SEC East?

Not to mention that the current two east and west divisions setup not only makes the most sense geographically, but also maintains the current rivalries at the same time.

Meanwhile, what will inevitably happen as soon as Alabama is moved to the SEC East is Nick Saban will make UGA and Florida his bitches.

Then as soon as Alabama is moved to the SEC East, LSU will be able to step into the role of being the top-dog in the SEC West.

Meanwhile, since all the elite of the most elite recruits want to play for the top dog, LSU would end up with the greater bulk of those elite recruits because no other head coach in the SEC West is as good as a recruiter as Ed O.

Thus, with the bulk of those elite recruits committing to LSU every year, then LSU and Alabama would still play every year, but on a neutral field for the SEC Championship title.

As LSU and Alabama would inevitably win their respective divisions every year. Sort of like UGA would win the SEC East Division and lose to Alabama, the SEC West Division winner, in the SEC title game every year.

Then when the new 12-team College Football Playoffs begin in the not too distant future, both LSU and Alabama would play in it every year.

Therefore, why would you want to sacrifice that amazing advantage LSU will be put in with the current two division system to play in an idiotic Pod system? I just don't get it.

Moreover, please explain how an SEC Championship would be decided with four pods? Would there be a four pod playoff system set up within he SEC to decide the champion on the field? Which would entail additional games on top of the additional games the new expanded playoffs system would require. I mean, that would mean that some SEC teams would have to play more games than most NFL teams.

Or would funky tie breakers be put in place to pick the champion, as opposed to the champion being decided on the football field?

Exactly how an SEC Champion would be crowned in a Pod System that would make sacrificing LSU's amazing advantage by remaining in the two division setup we currently have worth it?

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LSU played Kentucky from 1952-2002,

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hardly anyone outside of LSU fans has any idea about this. Young LSU fans might not know. Has to be one of those SEC oddities that when it comes trivia time is a stumper

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LSU played Kentucky from 1952-2002, yet when the SEC went to the latest permanent cross division rival, LSU got…Florida

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LSU had played Florida a whopping 3 fewer times during that stretch.
and the same number of times overall in history (at that time)


people need to quit acting like we just started playing Florida when Spurrier was hired.

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LSU played Ole Miss, MSU, Bama, and Kentucky every year when I was a kid, and rotated the others.

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Since 1953, we’ve played Florida more often than we’ve played Alabama.

Well, in the late 60s and 70s, when I was growing up, we played Ole Miss, Bama and MSU in a row, and Tulane to end the season.
I'm not disputing your numbers, just my memory of those days.

I would keep it East and West Divisions with a 9 game Conference schedule. 7 Divisional Opponents and no permanent cross rivals. Rotate two new cross divisional opponents every year in order to play every team on the other side once every 4 yrs and visit their stadiums once every 8 yrs.

East
Alabama
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
S. Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

West
Arkansas
LSU
Missouri
Mississippi State
Oklahoma
Ole Miss
Texas
Texas A&M