Question about the SEC's 5-1-2 scheduling

So we play our 5 divisional opponents every year. check.

Play 1 permanent non divisional opponent every year (Florida). check.

Play 2 rotating non div opps. every year (USC & Kentucky in '07). check.

So my question is, how permanent is this? I know the idea is that each team in the conference plays all the other teams a minimum of 4 times in a decade. Does that mean that once this has come to pass we'll switch which permanent non-divisional opponent we have or is it truly permanent that we'll be playing Florida every year until the SEC decides no more 5-1-2? By the way, anyone know how it was decided that Florida would be paired with us? Was it by chance or figured to be a good competitive/financial pairing? I imagine there must have been some serious politicking over who got who as a permanent non-divisional opponent.

It would seem that having a permanent non-divisional opponent might nurture the atmosphere of a rivalry of sorts; create some kind of hatred, etc... Yea, I want to beat UF, but I still don't feel that playing them every year is making me hate them more or less.



EDIT: I guess what I'm asking is does permanent mean permanent until 2011 when the full rotation is complete or does the SEC intend permanent to mean that the cycle just repeats with current alignment after the 2011 season?

 

I'm guessing in 2011 they will have the choice to renew it or change it.

The pairings were based on program history & potential for success. They wanted to match programs that were at about the same level. I have to say they did a very good job.

 

if that were the criteria used I agree that they did match teams up pretty well. I like that we got Florida. I was assuming pretty much what you said, that they might take a look at the system and have the option to change it after 2011... I hope they don't.

 

it will probably never change because of some of the traditional cross division rivalries.

I believe it's specifically because of the Bama/Tenn and AU/UGA rivalries.

 

ding! ding! ding! ding! ding!

 

Yep. Tha AU-GA series is the oldest series in the South and one of the oldest in the nation.

 

the sec didn't want the bama teams to lose their rivalries so they were able to keep one lock
i.e. bama-tenn
uga-au
all the other matchups happened b/c of these two matchups and not being able to keep both locks.

the other teams just hooked up around it.
au's other lock was fla. (i think) since fla lost AU they only had LSU left.
our other lock was UK, since UK lost us they kept their other lock (miss st). ark and usc were paired b/c they were the 11th and 12 teams added to the sec.
uga's other lock was ole miss who was left with vandy who's other lock was bama but bama kept tenn.

so it kinda just took form. i hate playing the gators every year but i kinda like too b/c for me, i hate no sec team more.

 

yes... au and ga/ ua and tn.... the big 12 did away with the Nebraska/OU rivalry so why do we have to have these?

 

+

cause the conference's most storied program demanded to have its rivalries. i think it works out well for us although we've been on the short end of the stick for quite a few years against UF.

i like a challenge.