The SEC expansion to 14 teams meant a move to 18-game conference schedules.
With 14 teams, the league reduced the number of home-and-home series within the SEC.
For instance, Kentucky is guaranteed to play a home-and-home series with only one SEC team each season: Florida.
Coaches at Vanderbilt and Tennessee lamented that their rivalries with Kentucky will be reduced to one game some future seasons.
“One of the disappointments to the new scheduling format,” Vandy Coach Kevin Stallings said.
As with Stallings, Tennessee Coach Cuonzo Martin acknowledged the realities of an expanded league.
“It’s a case of you try to do what’s best for the league,” Martin said. “That’s the most important thing.”
SEC teams will have one permanent opponent to play home-and-home each season. For instance, Vandy will play Tennessee two times each season.
Each SEC team will play another four opponents it plays home-and-home on a rotating basis.
There will also be eight SEC opponents played once each.
Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald- Leader has covered Kentucky basketball since the 1981-82 season. That time includes five coaches, five Final Fours, four athletic directors, two interim athletic directors and many memories. Before coming to Lexington, Tipton worked eight years for the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch. He covered Marshall’s basketball team for two seasons before coming to the Herald-Leader.
3 comments ↓
I’m sure all SEC East teams will miss having their only guaranteed sellout every year.
I was very surprised when the SEC named Florida UK’s “natural rival.” I would have thought it would have been either Tennessee or Vandy.
This past season thE Coach in this article and other coaches were complaining the UK received better scheduling from the SEC now they complain about not getting to play UK Twice each season. Can’t satisfy some of these coaches. lol