Georgia Football: Coach Kirby Smart Favors Nine Game SEC Schedule

Georgia Football Kirby Smart was asked if he favors the South Eastern Conference moving to nine conference games. What are the pros and cons of a nine game conference schedule for the Dawgs?

Smart Favors a Nine Game SEC Schedule

During the press conference following Georgia Football beating Vanderbilt, the last question Coach Kirby Smart was asked, was a question about the Dawgs playing a nine game SEC schedule. Smart was highly in favor of it. He stated his strong preference for it as such:

"“I’ve always been in favor of a 9 game league. That’s important to me. Look that’s not my decision to make. I think our conference is in incredible hands. The leadership in the SEC office is as good as any in the country.” “So they don’t need me to lobby for that or come out for that. That’s their decision. They have a rhyme or reason why they do it. Greg and his staff do an incredible job. They’ve thought about this, looked into this. They’ve analyzed it 8000 different ways. I guarantee you.” “But, I think it’s a good thing. Do I think you’re going to have teams with more losses? Does it effect a team getting to playoffs? I don’t know but I know you got a lot more games to get up for, a lot more good rivalry games.” “It’s not just about traveling to a team on the west. It’s just as much about the atmosphere of playing an SEC opponent. I think your playing more comparable teams to your talent level. I think that’s important for College Football.” “If college attendance continues to drop, they’re going to be looking to do this. So I think it’s important and I think it’s good for the game.”"

You can view and listen to the comments from coach Smart himself below courtesy of the Dawg Post Youtube Channel:

Kirby Smart joins his mentor Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide, in speaking out for the South Eastern Conference changing the schedule to include nine conference games. Saban has been in favor of it for years. This article on Saturday Down South written by Jon Cooper five years ago, details Saban’s feelings on the matter.

Gus Malzahn, Head Coach of the Auburn Tigers, favors the SEC changing to nine conference games as well. He previously wasn’t in favor of it, but recently changed his mind. He informed the world of the change during this year’s SEC Media Day.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported the details of Gus Malzahn’s change of heart in this article. Gus is now the third coach to support the major change in scheduling. That now makes one-fourth of the SEC coaches in favor or it. That’s a significant number.

Even more importantly the three coaches who favor the nine game league schedule, arguably coach the best teams in the entire SEC.

The Georgia Bulldogs won the SEC last season, defeating the Auburn Tigers in the championship game. Unfortunately we all know Alabama won the national championship.

Louisiana State, Florida, and Tennessee are considered the other three, storied SEC teams. Texas A & M, though new to the conference, also carries some weight due to it being in the largest state affiliated with the SEC.

Neither of the coaches of the other biggest SEC football programs, Ed Orgeoron, Dan Mullen, Jeremy Pruitt, or Jimbo Fisher have come out in support of changing the conference schedule.

Should just one of those guys support a nine game schedule, it would mean the majority of the power programs support the change.