Important Questions on Docket for SEC Spring Meetings

Eli Drinkwitz has often quipped that he "doesn't know who is in charge" of college athletics. That question isn't getting any easier to answer.

The ongoing NCAA vs. House Settlement hangs a massive cloud over any move individual conferences or programs try to make.

"We need some sort of governing structure that doesn’t involve a lawsuit every single day," Drinkwitz said in a spring press conference. "We can’t keep shifting the rules that drastically all the time."

University athletic administrators, coaches and conference leaders for the Southeastern Conference will meet this week in Destin, Florida, to try to lay the path for possible changes the House Settlement would bring in if passed.

Here's a look at two important issues expected to be at the top of the agenda.

Conference Football Schedule

The possible move from eight to nine conference football games has been discussed for years, but this could be the year the conference finally comes to an agreement to add another conference game in its scheduling format.

Another domino in the equation was put in place with ESPN now reportedly willing to negotiate on an increased deal for its TV agreement with the conference if a ninth game is added.

The impacts of adding another conference game to the schedule would be wide-ranging, for both competitive and revenue reasons. An increase in ESPN's television agreements would be to the benefit of all conference teams, as a passing of the House Settlement would introduce revenue sharing. Teams wold also have the benefit of another home game every other year.

It would also lead to some interesting decisions to be made for the non-conference schedule, going from four to three games. Missouri is in agreements with four teams up until 2031 for non-conference games.

This decision would also tie into the uncertainty of the future of the College Football Playoff format, which is expected to expand its field next season. Another SEC game would likely create another opportunity for teams to add a quality win to their resume, but it would also add another loss or tie for half the league.

Currently, both the Big 10 and Big 12 play nine conference games, and the Atlantic Coast Conference plays eight.

Offseason Schedule

If passed, the House Settlement would bring some more unity across college athletics. An area football programs are especially looking for alignment on is the offseason schedule, which currently creates a workload from December-April that is difficult to manage.

"That's one of the many reasons we need the House settlement to get approved, so we can then move on to all the other things," Missouri director of athletics Laird Veatch said on April 29. "That's one of the many things we need to really work through is our calendar and how we manage transfer portals."

The overlap of the opening of the transfer portal with the College Football Playoff and preparation for bowl games is one of the biggest issues of timing the current schedule creates. During the final weeks of the regular season, teams already need to go to work on conversations with players for retention and renegotiating NIL deals.

"There’s no way possible for us to have a 12-team playoff and be recruiting in an open period, and have transfer portal additions and subtractions going on, and preparing for a game," Drinkwitz said in 2023 ahead of the Cotton Bowl. "It's just not possible."

There's little certainty for anybody when it comes to what changes are still to come for college athletics, and the impacts those changes will have. But the SEC will look to create more stability for itself at its league meetings, which begin Tuesday.