Kirby Smart still bullish on lining up challenging nonconference games with new SEC schedule
The deadline to get 2023 Georgia football season tickets was the end of last month.
The big appeal, of course, is to ensure a seat to watch a program that has won the last two national championships and get to spend seven fall Saturdays in what’s considered one of the best settings around.
The drawback is a schedule that offers up UT-Martin, Ball State and UAB on the nonconference slate, all in September.
The SEC adding Texas and Oklahoma to start play in 2024 and a new schedule format should mean a more appealing home schedule.
Coach Kirby Smart said he’s not backing away from his bring ‘em on scheduling philosophy that added a slew of attractive nonconference games to the slate for future years.
He said while a likely nine-game SEC schedule could mean one Power Five nonconference game along with two others, he said “we’re exploring the option of having two Power Fives on top of our nine just because our fans want to see bigger games.”
Smart made the comments last week in an interview with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on his SiriusXM show “Basketball and Beyond.”
Georgia was set to have two Power Five nonconference teams this season with Oklahoma along with annual opponent Georgia Tech, but the game against the Sooners in Norman was cancelled as directed by the league. Oklahoma had a return game slated for 2031 that also was scrapped.
That 2023 game was replaced by the home game with Ball State.
“I like to schedule bigger games,” Smart said. “Our kids get more excited to play the teams. I think the expanded playoff is going to help with that because as a schedule guy you’re not scared of one loss. It’s like basketball, you can go schedule all you want. You need to peak at the end. It doesn’t matter how many tough teams you play, you’ve got to peak at the end to get in the tournament.”
The College Football Playoff is expanding from four teams to 12 starting in 2024.
Georgia is scheduled to play Clemson in 2024 in Atlanta and also has its annual game with Georgia Tech.
There will have to be some adjustments because Georgia’s nonconference slate includes three nonconference power five games in 2026 (UCLA, Louisville and Georgia Tech), 2027 (Florida State, Louisville and Georgia Tech), 2030 (Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia Tech) and 2033 (Clemson, NC State, Georgia Tech).
Smart said the SEC is “leaning” to going to a nine-game schedule over remaining at eight. Under the current scheduling format, it takes 12 years to ensure that every team visits every other campus.
Under a nine-game schedule, each team would have six rotating opponents and three annual opponents.
The SEC is also considering staying at eight games with one annual opponent and seven rotating.
“The outcome of the models remaining would allow each of our teams to see every team at least twice in a four-year cycle, including home and away,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters at the SEC men’s basketball tournament in Nashville last month.
Getting rid of divisions will mean the top two teams would play in the league championship game rather than East vs. West.
“I think it will be good, it will make it more competitive,” Smart said. “You’ll have a better chance to get the two best teams.”
Georgia and Florida would seem a lock to play annually and Auburn and Kentucky were projected also for Georgia in a nine-game schedule by SI.com’s Ross Dellenger. South Carolina would seem to be the next most likely option.
“It’s not my job to pick ‘em,” Smart said at the Macon Touchdown Club last month. “I’m not going to whine and cry about it. I’m not going to complain. I’m going to take whoever they give us and try to beat ‘em. I think that’s the best way to handle it.”
He said he was updated from the SEC on scheduling possibilities: “I’m going to spend my time trying to get the best players. I’ll let y’all figure out who we play.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Here's Kirby Smart's nonconference scheduling approach with SEC changes
