Last time Agitation And Alabama Went in an entire season without playing each other, Tigers Coach Brian Kelly was a child and Krimson Tide Coach Kalen Debor will not be born for one and 11 years.
During the six-plus decades, that annual matchup had some intense, dramatic moments, such as Kelly’s Gambal on Do-Y-Dai, 2-point conversion to eliminate overtime in 2022. Jayden daniel is associated with Mason taylorAnd the rapturus fans spread on the ground at Tiger Stadium.
This week, under a new scheduling format released by the South -East Conference, LSU and Alabama will not play in 2027 – for the first time since 1963. And the next season will be the first time after 1970 that tigers will not play Fluorida gates,
Kelly said on Wednesday, “I receive it, when asked how unstable some people may be to see for a long time, the annual rivalry ended under the four -year program of the conference ended on Tuesday which was released on Tuesday.
But the LSU coach stated that he appreciates the SEC target that all 16 teams play the role of each other at least once every two years, and this may mean renouncing some popular annual fixtures.
“You are going to pull some of those natural rivals, but you’re not losing them for a long period,” Kelly said. “They managed it and placed it in a place that allows everyone to play home and away [within a four-year span]And I think it’s very exciting. ,
Ole miss Coach Lane Kiffin was less enthusiastic about at least one aspect of the new schedule.
While he agreed with LSU and keeping Mississippi state In the program of rebels every year, he said that inclusion Oklahoma As an annual rival was “disappointing” and “no meaning – at all.”
“We have nothing to him or our fans,” Kiphin said, whose program will lose Venderbilat As an annual stability on your program. “It is unfortunate with so many great teams that we have played here for a long time.”
Each team found three “annual opponents” during the next four sessions, and they could potentially change after 2029.
Florida coach Billy Napier said, “Our league has taken a commercial decision that was not born last time when the gates did not play LSUs.
Moving forward, the tailgate parties serving crocodiles around the Death Valley will be once every four years instead of every other year. Then, whether it is good or bad, it is surely a matter of taste.
“Obviously, there are professionals and opposition,” Napier said. “Some of those things are part of the development of the game, part of the development of our conference because we add teams to the mixture.”
SEC had similar 12 teams from 1991 to 2012, when Texas A&M And Missouri Added. In 2024, the East and West Division was removed, and the league grew to 16 teams with Oklahoma’s addition and Texas,
Next year, the conference program increases from eight games to nine.
Napier said, “I like the game of LSU rivalry and of course it’s a fun.” “We have found very good history there, but there is going to be a change that comes with nine games, and I think our league has done a good job that has been done in a way in a way where we will receive exposure for each team.”
Some annual fixtures can never go away: Alabama vs. Golden brown color In iron bowl; Mississippi and Mississippi states in egg bowls; Georgia Vs. Florida vs. Florida at the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party; And Deep South’s oldest rivalry between Georgia and Obern is some examples.
The Red River rivalry will also be an annual game, as is a fresh loan star shodown between Longhorn and Exigues.
“The opponent matters. It is a part of the tradition of this game – pointing to those football games, fan base,” Tenasi Coach Josh Hupel said. “It is important for (league) to try some of those special sports for universities and their fan locations.”
But Tennessee will lose a popular annual matchup against neighbor Georgia which has become seamless since 1992.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said, “Perhaps some people are upset who are upset”. “It is a limit to rivalry. It is difficult to keep all traditional rivals. You can only do so many.”
In the information distributed among the media this week, the SEC said that when it was a factor in geography and demanded to maintain traditional rivalry games, other objectives included an increase in frequency, with which teams play all other league schools and promote competitive balance in a way that can maximize all the SEC teams for 12-Tim Team College football playoffs.
“He looked at every possible landscape,” Kelly said, “to come up with equity and fairness.”
