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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
SEC will likely delay 2026 football schedule decision. Here's why.
MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – SEC officials arrived here this week with a goal of zeroing in on a conference schedule format for football for 2026 and beyond. And they probably will leave here Thursday without approving a format. Two factors continue to hold up a vote on a schedule format. Advertisement One: There's not consensus behind a model. Some stakeholders want to stay at eight games. Others want to move to nine. Generally, the SEC's coaches sound mostly interested in staying at eight, while the conference's athletic directors seem to leave the door cracked a little wider toward nine. But, even within those groups, there's not consensus. LSU's Brian Kelly said he'd favor nine conference games. Arkansas' Sam Pittman prefers eight. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte would like nine, but he acknowledged he doesn't speak for the room. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey favors nine, but he doesn't get a vote, only a voice. Advertisement Back and forth the Ping-Pong ball goes. The other element delaying the vote? The SEC is not up against a hard deadline. The conference's 2025 schedule is set, and it retains some runway to drag out the decision for 2026. Amid the pandemic in 2020, the SEC scrapped its schedule and devised a new one less than six weeks before kickoff. Don't expect the SEC to repeat that 2020 timeline, but also don't expect that all these diverging opinions will coalesce behind a solution within the conference's spring meetings that end here Thursday. Also affecting the decision: The College Football Playoff format for 2026 and beyond remains undecided, and multiple SEC coaches and administrators expressed reluctance to decide the conference schedule model until more information comes to light about the future playoff format and selection process. Advertisement Even Kelly, a proponent of nine conference games, says he'd slow-play this conference schedule vote, if it were up to him, and not give up that chip before knowing more about the playoff's future. The SEC has considered increasing to nine conference games for many years but consistently stayed at eight. The Big Ten and Big 12 play nine conference games. The ACC plays eight. Around the conference, there remains 'a variety of perspectives,' Sankey said. 'Some would say, 'Let's just go play nine games. More SEC games is better,'" Sankey said. "Some would say, 'Wait a second, I'm looking at bowl qualification, and it's going to be harder to get to that six-win threshold as I build my program.' Advertisement 'And then you have some who look at last year and say, 'Our interpretation is, under the current selection criteria, losing weighs more (on the committee's decision) than winning a solid game. Losing a game is more problematic, and until we have a better understanding on the future criteria or entry points for the CFP, we're not willing to go to nine games.' 'I think those are three philosophies, but I think there are some who are ready to go to (nine).' A majority vote would be required to reach a decision. Will the SEC break camp on Thursday without making a decision? 'That's my expectation,' Sankey said on 'The Paul Finebaum Show.' Advertisement And, so, the can is kicked, a little further down the road. In the past, this familiar road always ends at eight. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why SEC will likely delay 2026 football schedule decision
USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Quinn Ewers skips media at Texas Pro Day, frustrated reporter outburst draws criticism
Quinn Ewers skips media at Texas Pro Day, frustrated reporter outburst draws criticism Ewers skipped speaking to the media to head to a private meeting with the Miami Dolphins. Historically, Texas Athletics has held a reputation as one of the most elite programs in the country when it comes to media access and interview protocols. Student-athletes, including high-profile names like quarterback Quinn Ewers, are closely managed by the Sports Information Department — commonly referred to as SIDs — within Texas Athletics. During Tuesday's Texas Pro Day in Austin, Ewers skipped an informal media opportunity at the end of the session to meet with representatives from the Miami Dolphins, according to Bobby Burton of On Texas Football. Though the availability was not officially scheduled, the decision still sparked frustration with one member of the media that regularly covers the Longhorns. Wescott Eberts, managing producer for SB Nation, voiced his displeasure with Ewers' absence on social media, a take that has drawn backlash from numerous other Texas beat-writers. Danny Davis, the Texas Longhorns writer for Austin American Statesman pushed back at Eberts take, saying 'As media members, we are not owed interviews with anyone. I could argue for the benefits of chatting with the media, but this access isn't a birthright. If you're disappointed because you went to Pro Day expecting substantial Quinn quotes and didn't get them, that's on you.' While Texas student-athletes typically adhere to scheduled media sessions, it is not uncommon for players to field a few off-the-cuff questions from beat writers who regularly cover the team. These informal exchanges are often seen as professional courtesy rather than obligation. Eberts issued an apology on Tuesday night after receiving more than 40,000 views, including over 100 comments and 40 retweets on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Eberts and SB Nation have yet to comment further.
