http://www.yardbarker.com/college_footba...6_20683132

I wonder how fans of the affected schools would feel about this if it happens?

I don't think Bama is going to let Auburn move East alone.

It makes too much sense.

(04-14-2016 06:58 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  It makes too much sense.

I actually don't see how it makes sense. Kill the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry so that we can have a slight geographic adjustment for a school (Mizzou) that the other SEC schools aren't really dying to play? This isn't like the Legends/Leaders debacle in the Big Ten. Missouri was always going to be a weird fit and it still touches Kentucky. I wouldn't mess with a good thing.

Yea Alabama - Tennessee want be able to play anymore big problem.

SEC needs to add two more schools with 8 teams in each division, 7 division games, 2 non-division games, 3 non-conference games.
EAST
E. CAROLINA
South Carolina
Georgia
Florida
Tennessee
Kentucky
Alabama
Auburn

WEST
Vanderbilt
Mississippi State
Ole Miss
Missouri
Arkansas
LSU
Texas A&M
OKLAHOMA

(04-14-2016 08:28 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 06:58 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  It makes too much sense.

I actually don't see how it makes sense. Kill the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry so that we can have a slight geographic adjustment for a school (Mizzou) that the other SEC schools aren't really dying to play? This isn't like the Legends/Leaders debacle in the Big Ten. Missouri was always going to be a weird fit and it still touches Kentucky. I wouldn't mess with a good thing.

However it might make sense if/when SEC expands to 16 with at least one Big XII school. Of course that may not be for a few more years.

Missouri touches:
East: Tennessee/Vandy, Kentucky
West: Arkansas (OK, later?)

Moving just Auburn doesn't solve anything. Moving Auburn and Alabama does makes sense though either that would mean moving Vandy to the West or expansion.

If Alabama + Auburn moved East it would mean the end of cross-divisional rivalries. I would accept that rationale but not the "competitive balance" rationale. Moving these two teams to the East would mean traditional powers Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida and TN would all be in the East. The west would have Oklahoma, Texas A&M and LSU, and recently OK State could fit in.

But if expansion happened another way and the move was to the East with FSU, then its TN, Florida, FSU, Georgia vs. Auburn, Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU.

Not much difference either way. As a fan, I would love to play Auburn every year in the East, and as a TN fan protecting the Bama rivalry is great, but don't do it unless there is a legitimate need.

(04-14-2016 08:28 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 06:58 AM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  It makes too much sense.

I actually don't see how it makes sense. Kill the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry so that we can have a slight geographic adjustment for a school (Mizzou) that the other SEC schools aren't really dying to play? This isn't like the Legends/Leaders debacle in the Big Ten. Missouri was always going to be a weird fit and it still touches Kentucky. I wouldn't mess with a good thing.

You could move 'Bama to the East. That would do a couple of things:
-It strengthens the East division while opening some space in the West.
-Restores a few really historic SEC duels, seeing as the majority of the East teams are long-time (or original) SEC teams along with Alabama.
-Allows annual "cross-division" games with LSU and Auburn to be retained.
-Would create the possibility (like in the B10) of an Alabama-Auburn title rematch...or an Alabama-LSU rematch.

Of course, the EAST teams might not like Alabama in their division... But for the past several years, the SEC has been unbalanced with a ridiculously strong (and crowded) West division and less dominant East division.

No

Missouri and Vanderbilt are the two SEC East teams located in the Central Time Zone. But, then, so are Alabama and Auburn. Right now, the SEC is in an "if it ain't broke" mode, so I wouldn't expect any realignment of divisions that isn't accompanied by expansion.

For example, if the SEC were to add Oklahoma and another western Big 12 school, it would then make sense both competitively and geographically to move Mizzou to the West and both Alabama and Auburn to the East. If, instead, they were to add two eastern schools, moving Mizzou to the West would still make sense, with everybody else staying put.

But without further conference realignment, I don't see division realignment as being a high priority.

I think the problem is this:

Auburn would prefer to be in the SEC East - their top historical rivals are Georgia (their crossover) and Florida (which they hardly ever get to play)

Alabama would prefer to remain in the West - their top historical rivals are Auburn and Tennessee (which they already play).

So the Elephant is bullying the little in state brother.

No, MSU considers UA one of its major rivals as does LSU.

There are more considerations at play here than just UA and AU.

Bullying? That's asinine.

(04-14-2016 09:48 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  No, MSU considers UA one of its major rivals as does LSU.

There are more considerations at play here than just UA and AU.

Bullying? That's asinine.

Did anyone even ask what Auburn wants?

(04-14-2016 06:38 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I don't think Bama is going to let Auburn move East alone.

Auburn WANTS this. So does Missouri.

The problem is that Alabama and Tennessee don't want this. Alabama isn't moving East. The problem is that they demand that they play Auburn and Tennessee every year. So if Auburn moves east...no more 'Third Saturday in October'.

And it could be that Florida and Georgia also don't want a historically stronger team in their division.

(04-14-2016 10:01 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 06:38 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I don't think Bama is going to let Auburn move East alone.

Auburn WANTS this. So does Missouri.

The problem is that Alabama and Tennessee don't want this. Alabama isn't moving East. The problem is that they demand that they play Auburn and Tennessee every year. So if Auburn moves east...no more 'Third Saturday in October'.

And it could be that Florida and Georgia also don't want a historically stronger team in their division.

They could just send Alabama to the East.

Maintains Alabama-Tennessee and makes Alabama-Auburn a crossover game.

(04-14-2016 10:13 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  They could just send Alabama to the East.

Maintains Alabama-Tennessee and makes Alabama-Auburn a crossover game.

And Tennessee's divisional rivals also get to play Bama every year.

Work's OK for me. Perhaps not so much for the Eastern teams that at present frequently get to duck Bama.

Or the SEC could do a 2 year experiment and put missouri in the west and auburn in the east while keeping the alabama-tennessee series. After 2 years, go back to the current format. I thought they should have done it with Texas A&M for 2 years in the east with missouri in the west for 2 years so programs would have played each other sooner. For Missouri and Auburn to switch permanently given the 8 game schedule, Alabama and Tennessee would need to start a non-conference series.

(04-14-2016 10:27 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 10:13 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  They could just send Alabama to the East.

Maintains Alabama-Tennessee and makes Alabama-Auburn a crossover game.

And Tennessee's divisional rivals also get to play Bama every year.

Work's OK for me. Perhaps not so much for the Eastern teams that at present frequently get to duck Bama.

Or for several teams in the West who consider UA a rival.

(04-14-2016 10:31 AM)bluesox Wrote:  Or the SEC could do a 2 year experiment and put missouri in the west and auburn in the east while keeping the alabama-tennessee series. After 2 years, go back to the current format. I thought they should have done it with Texas A&M for 2 years in the east with missouri in the west for 2 years so programs would have played each other sooner. For Missouri and Auburn to switch permanently given the 8 game schedule, Alabama and Tennessee would need to start a non-conference series.

(As a TN fan)
1) Boo 8 game schedule. 9 makes so much more sense and we get to play other teams in conference more often.
2) If need be, TN should absolutely schedule Alabama non-conference. I know we are in the midst of a huge losing streak, but the series has always been streaky and Saban can't coach forever (I hope).

(04-14-2016 06:38 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:  I don't think Bama is going to let Auburn move East alone.

Alabama and Tennessee would be very, very opposed. The rest would be fine. Auburn traditionally played the eastern schools more than the western. The two important cross-division rivalries that remain are UGA-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee (maybe Ole Miss-Vandy think theirs is important, but Ole Miss has already lost UGA and Tennessee which used to be important to them). This would still leave two, but both would be Alabama-vs. Tennessee and Auburn.