Thursday's SEC announcements should thrill Tennessee fans
You're forgiven, Tennessee fans. For now. On Thursday, the SEC announced from its spring meetings decisions on multiple pending issues, including foremost how the league would schedule the 2024 season with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the league. The league will implement an 8-game SEC schedule for the 2024 season. 9 games had been […]
You're forgiven, Tennessee fans. For now.
On Thursday, the SEC announced from its spring meetings decisions on multiple pending issues, including foremost how the league would schedule the 2024 season with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the league. The league will implement an 8-game SEC schedule for the 2024 season. 9 games had been on the table, but the decision went in favor of 8 conference games.
It should be noted that the league will revisit the issue next year for a permanent decision. Greg Sankey said the following regarding the scheduling decision:
"We have been engaged in planning for the entry of Oklahoma and Texas into the SEC since the summer of 2021, but the change of the membership date from 2025 to 2024 creates scheduling complexities that can better be managed with a one-year schedule.
"Creating a one-year schedule will provide a longer on-ramp to manage football scheduling around existing non-conference commitments of our members. It will also provide additional time to understand the impact of an expanded College Football Playoff and engage with our media partners as we determine the appropriate long-term plan for SEC football scheduling.
"During this time of change, our fans will continue to enjoy traditional rivalries and begin to see new matchups presented by the addition of two historically successful football programs to the SEC." – SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey via SECSports.com
Also, the league is requiring each team to play one Power Five opponent in addition to the 8 conference games in 2024. For Tennessee, that game is already scheduled against NC State in Charlotte on September 7, 2024, so no non-conference shuffling should need to take place.
Per Seth Emerson of The Athletic, Sankey also insinuated that the league's most important rivalry games will remain intact.
“We’re going to honor our traditional rivalries and our traditional games. We understand priorities in here.” – Greg Sankey via Seth Emerson, The Athletic
For Tennessee fans who did not want to see the Alabama game drop off the schedule, especially after last year's thrilling win to break a 15-game losing streak to the Tide, Thursday's announcement should settle those concerns a bit. The schools' opponents are expected to be announced on June 14.
In what should further make Tennessee fans very happy, the rule on penalties for fans rushing the field was announced. Particularly, each team received a clean slate starting this fall, meaning teams will not face penalties beyond $100,000 for a first offense. The offenses will be $100,000 fine for the first offense, $250,000 for the second, and $500,000 for the third. So all is basically forgiven following Tennessee's 52-49 win over the Tide and ensuing bedlam last fall.
However, in a significant change, the offending school will now have to pay the fine directly to the team they stormed the field against. Most schools will likely be willing to make that payment, at least for a first offense, given the relative amount versus a win of such a magnitude as to cause the fans to storm the field.
And for Tennessee, they're back to square one in that department. However, if the Vols continue their upward trajectory, soon there shouldn't be a win surprising enough to warrant rushing the field again.
Featured image via Jamar Coach/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
