Getting Screwed by SEC Scheduling...(UPDATED)

[ConRay9]

EDIT: I have my answer. Thank you @sjjones for finding a relevant and very recent article.

https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article223907055.html

TV Ratings dictate the scheduling for the additional two Home-and-Homes. The SEC originally said it was determined by a “rotating schedule” as noted by @BaunceyChillups in this link:

http://www.secsports.com/article/12970797/sec-men-basketball-schedule-format-announced

The rotating schedule bit at the end is untrue. The associate commissioner of the SEC, Herb Vincent, confirms this in the Herald Leader link. Call my post whining or whatever you want to do but I just wanted to know how they set the schedule. At least it’s confirmed now. I’m not going to complain about it—I like playing good teams and we’re Kentucky, but at least I know I’m not crazy. It really didn’t add up.

END EDIT

I understand how ratings work and general hype, and I'm not gonna categorize this as complaining per se because we're Kentucky and we should expect to beat any team in front of us, but at what point does the SEC scheduling get ridiculous for us? At some point fair play has to be involved right? I understand that we aren't facing murderer's row exactly but it's a tough schedule, and is seemingly the toughest in the SEC.

It's no coincidence this is the first year in recent memory we don't get A@M twice--they suck now. We get Miss. St. twice which is highly unusual, and you throw that in with the double Auburn game with the usual Tennessee and Florida double header and it becomes kinda ridiculous the road we face.

If I'm misunderstanding the scheduling pattern please enlighten me. At some point it's clearly not random and the network/conference are setting matchups based on TV ratings and hype. That will continually put us at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the SEC moving forward as the conference gains in strength. SEC football has a clear scheduling pattern in place. Does basketball have any semblance of this pattern? Or are they just wanting ratings?

 

[anon_dge1vx8o0wnm7]

The SEC, whenever they announced the new scheduling format, said that two-time opponents aside from permanent rivals would be determined on a “rotating basis.”

http://www.secsports.com/article/12970797/sec-men-basketball-schedule-format-announced

However, just looking through teams’ schedules the last few seasons shows that clearly isn’t the case. Kentucky will be scheduled against the best perceived SEC teams heading into the year regardless. There isn’t a rotation, and that is how they’ll choose.
I can’t find it now, but I’m pretty sure I read something recently where the SEC basically admitted as much and said that ratings mostly determined how those two other home-and-home opponents are scheduled.

You’d think that in a league where a couple of games can be the difference in a conference championship or not, the University would be more opposed to yearly schedule bias, but then again I’m not sure what they can do.

 

[ConRay9]

The SEC, whenever they announced the new scheduling format, said that two-time opponents aside from permanent rivals would be determined on a “rotating basis.”

http://www.secsports.com/article/12970797/sec-men-basketball-schedule-format-announced

However, just looking through teams’ schedules the last few seasons shows that clearly isn’t the case. Kentucky will be scheduled against the best perceived SEC teams heading into the year regardless. There isn’t a rotation, and that is how they’ll choose.
I can’t find it now, but I’m pretty sure I read something recently where the SEC basically admitted as much and said that ratings mostly determined how those two other home-and-home opponents are scheduled.

You’d think that in a league where a couple of games can be the difference in a conference championship or not, the University would be more opposed to yearly schedule bias, but then again I’m not sure what they can do.

Thank you for doing some of the research. I didn't have time recently but was planning on delving deeper. The scheduling just hasn't added up to me. I don't understand how it can be considered fair if the schedule isn't random outside of the permanent rivals they have designated previously.

At the very least, the schedule has not tilted in our favor in a while it seems on first glance. That shouldn't be allowed.

 

[akaukswoosh]

Was going to be tough in the reg season SEC no matter what with Auburn and UT returning veteran teams this year not relying on freshmen. I like the fact that while we will probably be underdogs at AU and UT that we get them back in Lexington.
Then again there are lots of folks on this board who say the SEC sucks so I doubt they care who we play twice anyway.[winking]

 

[musrat59]

To be the best, you have to beat the best.

 

[KyCatFan1]

We also get the best team/s in the BIG12/SEC Challenge. I'd like to mix things up and play some different teams on occasion. Compare that to Duke in the BIG10/ACC Challenge. The last 4 years they have gotten unranked Indiana 3 times and an unranked Michigan St once. They stopped giving them the tougher opponents once they went all in with the one and done players. Is that a coincidence?

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

I understand how ratings work and general hype, and I'm not gonna categorize this as complaining per se because we're Kentucky and we should expect to beat any team in front of us, but at what point does the SEC scheduling get ridiculous for us? At some point fair play has to be involved right? I understand that we aren't facing murderer's row exactly but it's a tough schedule, and is seemingly the toughest in the SEC.

It's no coincidence this is the first year in recent memory we don't get A@M twice--they suck now. We get Miss. St. twice which is highly unusual, and you throw that in with the double Auburn game with the usual Tennessee and Florida double header and it becomes kinda ridiculous the road we face.

If I'm misunderstanding the scheduling pattern please enlighten me. At some point it's clearly not random and the network/conference are setting matchups based on TV ratings and hype. That will continually put us at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the SEC moving forward as the conference gains in strength. SEC football has a clear scheduling pattern in place. Does basketball have any semblance of this pattern? Or are they just wanting ratings?

I was checking out the schedule when I posted about the tough 6 game stretch, but then I looked down and it's crazy. Between the good teams and where we play sneaky teams that give us trouble on the road usually we are at the beginning of the SEC and it looks like only 1 game left is easy. Mizzo and that's it. That's even a road game. The teams not playing great are still places we struggle sometimes like @Vandy and @FL. Seriously they did us no favors with this schedule. Only positive is there is a crap load of Quad 1 possible victories.

 

[etowncatfan]

Even with this schedule it should only make us a better and Tougher team. Yes it may hurt us in seeding but win a couple we shouldn't, and it should help us. and come Tournament time we will be seasoned. I want fairness like you but all is not bad unless you are a bubble team. We have to win six at the end no matter what.

 

[seccats04]

The SEC made a commitment to be better in basketball recently so they will schedule all the best opponents for UK to build their brand and maximize ratings.

 

[Bluegrassking]

This why a lot of the complaining about the schedule is way overheated.

You can only stack so much on any team but especially one you know will be dominated by Freshman and Sophomores. Doubly so at the beginning of the year.

 

[jwheat]

That’s just two tougher games for auburn and miss st. Do you think either of those teams are happy about playing us twice?

I thought vandy was a permanent home and home though

 

[H00SIER-Cat]

i see your point OP but we have kind of asked for this in the past.

We wanted the SEC to get better so our tournament resume would get a boost.

It's a tough stretch but a great opportunity also.

 

[kevcat]

I understand how ratings work and general hype, and I'm not gonna categorize this as complaining per se because we're Kentucky and we should expect to beat any team in front of us, but at what point does the SEC scheduling get ridiculous for us? At some point fair play has to be involved right? I understand that we aren't facing murderer's row exactly but it's a tough schedule, and is seemingly the toughest in the SEC.

It's no coincidence this is the first year in recent memory we don't get A@M twice--they suck now. We get Miss. St. twice which is highly unusual, and you throw that in with the double Auburn game with the usual Tennessee and Florida double header and it becomes kinda ridiculous the road we face.

If I'm misunderstanding the scheduling pattern please enlighten me. At some point it's clearly not random and the network/conference are setting matchups based on TV ratings and hype. That will continually put us at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the SEC moving forward as the conference gains in strength. SEC football has a clear scheduling pattern in place. Does basketball have any semblance of this pattern? Or are they just wanting ratings?

You’re usually pretty level headed Ray, but I can’t go with you on this one.

Why would we want to play A&M twice this season? They’re not very good this season. It wouldn’t do us much good if we had two wins instead of one over them this year.

If we’re truly as good as the very best teams in CBB, we should be embracing the opportunity the schedule this season gives us.

How about going out and just winning these games?

Who are we scared of? Tennessee? Uh, we always play the Vols twice. BTW, most of our fans have made fun of Rick Barnes for years, saying he’s one of the worst coaches ever.

Getting Auburn twice is a great opportunity to get two quality wins. Have we gotten to the point that we’re afraid of Auburn? God I hope not.

Miss St? We also get to play them twice. Please don’t tell me that the Bulldogs have become an opponent that we now want to dodge.

We get Kansas at Rupp. Uh, also without their best player. If we can’t beat them this season, then uh...well, we might just want to quit scheduling them.


With this schedule, we have every chance to build an incredible resume, despite already having two losses to the likes of Seton Hall and Alabama.

Again, you’re a solid poster. Hey, even I had a bad take once, so don’t let it get you down.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Dam. You guys would have gone crazy back in the day when we played everybody twice.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

I don't have an issue with this.

Time and time again when it comes to seeding I've learned that winning big games is the most important thing. Why not have more chances to do that?

it's a win win situation. Win @ Auburn and it's huge as far as seedings go........Lose @ Auburn and welp big deal......a quad 1 loss isn't going to sink us.

Obviously makes winning the SEC harder but in terms of seeding, I'd rather have a stacked schedule. Teams have gotten better seeds than us in the past simply because they had more opportunities to put up big wins. Not anymore.

 

[ABlockalypseBrow]

You’re usually pretty level headed Ray, but I can’t go with you on this one.

Why would we want to play A&M twice this season? They’re not very good this season. It wouldn’t do us much good if we had two wins instead of one over them this year.

If we’re truly as good as the very best teams in CBB, we should be embracing the opportunity the schedule this season gives us.

How about going out and just winning these games?

Who are we scared of? Tennessee? Uh, we always play the Vols twice. BTW, most of our fans have made fun of Rick Barnes for years, saying he’s one of the worst coaches ever.

Getting Auburn twice is a great opportunity to get two quality wins. Have we gotten to the point that we’re afraid of Auburn? God I hope not.

Miss St? We also get to play them twice. Please don’t tell me that the Bulldogs have become an opponent that we now want to dodge.

We get Kansas at Rupp. Uh, also without their best player. If we can’t beat them this season, then uh...well, we might just want to quit scheduling them.


With this schedule, we have every chance to build an incredible resume, despite already having two losses to the likes of Seton Hall and Alabama.

Again, you’re a solid poster. Hey, even I had a bad take once, so don’t let it get you down.

I suppose in terms of metrics for the NCAA tournament seeding, you could say it all evens out - we either get more chances for marquee wins or a better record. Of course, I don’t agree that this is how the NCAA really seeds, I think they’re happy to put a 6 loss Kentucky below a 5 loss whoever even if the metrics say we’re the better team.

But if you care about SEC regular season titles at all, this would be a huge disadvantage over time, if you’re playing the toughest conference schedule every year. There will be years where we may have been the best conference team but didn’t win the SEC title, which happened frequently in the old east/west division.

 

[CatFanInTheBathtub]

This board is SSDD. My God do you people ever stop whining ???. These schedules are made far before anyone knows how good any teams are going to be. Of all the conspiracy theories I've read on here this is got to be one of the lamest. never thought I would see the day where Kentucky fans complain about having to play Auburn and Tennessee.

 

[RoyKent]

Holy crybabies in this thread. Holy ****, this is Kentucky and we are worried/complaining about Miss St. and Auburn?!?!

All these dumbass conspiracy theories are so ridiculous and make UK fans look pathetic. ESPN is out to get UK, Nike is out to get UK, the SEC, THE NCAA, the refs...EVERYONE IS OUT TO GET UK!!!!!

Also, Florida sucks this year, no one is bringing that up. We basically swapped a normal year of Florida for Auburn/Miss St this year.

 

[KyCatFan1]

They should just go back to divisions and play your division opponents twice and the other division opponents once like it used to be. Just add 1 more conference game to get it to 19.

 

[Cardsstink]

To be the best, you have to beat the best.

Agree and this is nothing more than entertainment or at least it should be looked at that way by fans. I’d rather see us play big games instead of snoozers. UK complaining about its SEC schedule seems embarrassing to me.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Marquee games make money. That's probably how the school sees it.

I really just want the easy games first. Come February/March give us the top teams. The problem this year is usually the 2nd half of the SEC is the harder stretch, with Florida always landing there. But now, Florida has fallen off while guys like Auburn and MissSt have gotten better.

I don't love having tough SEC games to start, that's when Kentucky is most vulnerable.

 

[MNantz]

We also get the best team/s in the BIG12/SEC Challenge. I'd like to mix things up and play some different teams on occasion. Compare that to Duke in the BIG10/ACC Challenge. The last 4 years they have gotten unranked Indiana 3 times and an unranked Michigan St once. They stopped giving them the tougher opponents once they went all in with the one and done players. Is that a coincidence?

I am sure the Rat Faced Bastard called and complained , so the schedule was submitted to him for approval before it was announced!

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

FWIW Florida is still 23rd in Kenpom.

They might not be as bad as some are making them out to be.

 

[STL_Cat]

Weak post. Complaining about SEC scheduling being unfair? Huh? I thought we were Kentucky? Play who you play and beat their asses. It’s what we’re supposed to do.

 

[docholiday51]

To be the best, you have to beat the best.

WOOOOOOOO!

 

[RoyKent]

WOOOOOOOO!

 

[Sparkaces]

Auburn would have come to UK this year too. Oh well, I win at auburn would be huge!

 

[UK-Chulo]

Nobody remembers who has the best regular season record in conference. Whoever called it a championship was just trying to shake out a moral victory. The conference tournament is something you put a banner for. Don’t care who we play, where we play them or how many times we play them. At UK it is about national championships and nothing else.

 

[ABlockalypseBrow]

This board is SSDD. My God do you people ever stop whining ???. These schedules are made far before anyone knows how good any teams are going to be. Of all the conspiracy theories I've read on here this is got to be one of the lamest. never thought I would see the day where Kentucky fans complain about having to play Auburn and Tennessee.

Any source on how far ahead they’re made? I found football schedules out to 2025, buts it not clear to me that they decide the two extra home/home teams for basketball until the schedule release every single year.

A set rotation would make way more sense and be totally fair. But if TV ratings are dictating it then it’s inevitable that we have one of the toughest schedules each year.

 

[CB3UK]

We also get the best team/s in the BIG12/SEC Challenge. I'd like to mix things up and play some different teams on occasion. Compare that to Duke in the BIG10/ACC Challenge. The last 4 years they have gotten unranked Indiana 3 times and an unranked Michigan St once. They stopped giving them the tougher opponents once they went all in with the one and done players. Is that a coincidence?

The Big 12/SEC challenge matchups are dictated by how you finish. 1 is paired with 1. 2 with 2. Etc. So if you want us to mix it up, we can tank this season in order to play Kansas State or Baylor.
..if you want.

 

[CB3UK]

Nobody remembers who has the best regular season record in conference. Whoever called it a championship was just trying to shake out a moral victory. The conference tournament is something you put a banner for. Don’t care who we play, where we play them or how many times we play them. At UK it is about national championships and nothing else.

The SEC determines its champion based on regular season finish, so yes, it does matter. The SECT provides an autobid to the NCAAT. So, again, both matter.

 

[CB3UK]

18 game conference schedule.

IMO should have 2 permanents, home and home, guaranteed every season. For us, those should be Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

That leaves 14 games, 11 teams. Play everyone once, alternate years on home and home. And of course, just rotate the remaining 3 games each season on a set schedule with home and home.

Honestly SEC basketball doesnt really have more than a handful of historical intense rivalries that need to be protected the way football does it.

I wouldnt even care if it alternating 11 and 7 and no one gets permanents. There simply needs to be a concrete set rotation for all teams.

I dont see it so much as in issue of fairness....we're Kentucky. If anything, its unfair to the teams that get stuck with us. imp: Its more an issue of common sense.

If the SEC wants to protect its marquee brands and push TV ratings by scheduling us against whatever Johnny come lately in the SEC is worth us playing each year, fine. Then we had better start getting a bigger piece of the collective basketball pie.

 

[caneintally]

FWIW Florida is still 23rd in Kenpom.

They might not be as bad as some are making them out to be.

They aren't bad but they aren't good either. They are the one team we play twice I have zero doubt we sweep. I have watched them play 7 times this year since I live in Jax , Fl and they can play great D but have zero offense despite having good players.

And the schedule is the most brutal in recent memory in conference BUT if we can go 13-5 / 14-4 we would earn at worst a 2 seed. 12-6 would be 3 seed as long as we beat one of the top 20 teams at home .

 

[Aike]

Few points...

1. We don’t always play Tennessee twice anymore. (Edit: My mistake. We only played them once in 2014 and 2015, but the rule was updated prior to the 2016 season and we do always play them twice now).

2. Winning the SEC regular season still matters to a lot of people. It is still a championship. Playing a tougher schedule makes that tougher to do.

3. Playing a harder schedule makes it harder to secure a top seed in the SEC tournament, in a stacked SEC. You run the risk of playing 4 games in 4 days, finishing on a Sunday, then straight to the NCAA. Not great.

4. Cal himself has mentioned the tougher schedule. Why did he do that? I realize a lot of you don’t like anything Cal has to say.

5. The opportunity for more quality wins is a fair point. I’m anxious to see how we perform against this stacked schedule, and then how the NCAA actually treats us on Selection Sunday.

A road “quad 1” win is over anyone ranked top 75. We have 5 road games left vs. teams currently in the top 42. Those ought to count double.

 

[STL_Cat]

Few points...

1. We don’t always play Tennessee twice anymore.

2. Winning the SEC regular season still matters to a lot of people. It is still a championship. Playing a tougher schedule makes that tougher to do.

3. Playing a harder schedule makes it harder to secure a top seed in the SEC tournament, in a stacked SEC. You run the risk of playing 4 games in 4 days, finishing on a Sunday, then straight to the NCAA. Not great.

4. Cal himself has mentioned the tougher schedule. Why did he do that? I realize a lot of you don’t like anything Cal has to say.

5. The opportunity for more quality wins is a fair point. I’m anxious to see how we perform against this stacked schedule, and then how the NCAA actually treats us on Selection Sunday.

A road “quad 1” win is over anyone ranked top 75. We have 5 road games left vs. teams currently in the top 42. Those ought to count double.

Bottom line to me is whining about the difficulty of the SEC schedule is weak sauce.

 

[Obadiah Plainman]

It seems that a few Kentucky fans are now complaining because there are two or three teams in the SEC, besides Kentucky, that are good to elite.

 

[Aike]

Bottom line to me is whining about the difficulty of the SEC schedule is weak sauce.

Every discussion of facts doesn’t have to be characterized as whining.

 

[docholiday51]

Few points...

1. We don’t always play Tennessee twice anymore.

2. Winning the SEC regular season still matters to a lot of people. It is still a championship. Playing a tougher schedule makes that tougher to do.

3. Playing a harder schedule makes it harder to secure a top seed in the SEC tournament, in a stacked SEC. You run the risk of playing 4 games in 4 days, finishing on a Sunday, then straight to the NCAA. Not great.

4. Cal himself has mentioned the tougher schedule. Why did he do that? I realize a lot of you don’t like anything Cal has to say.

5. The opportunity for more quality wins is a fair point. I’m anxious to see how we perform against this stacked schedule, and then how the NCAA actually treats us on Selection Sunday.

A road “quad 1” win is over anyone ranked top 75. We have 5 road games left vs. teams currently in the top 42. Those ought to count double.

Fair points all, just about any road win in the SEC is a good win.The fact is any win in the SEC is important,the league will cut each other up more than usual. UT may dodge a few more bullets than others along the way.10 or 11 wins may look pretty good when all is said and done.

 

[STL_Cat]

Every discussion of facts doesn’t have to be characterized as whining.

I think any complaints about the SEC scheduling somehow being unfair to Kentucky is whining.

 

[*CatinIL*]

I like it...gets the team better prepared for the NCAAT. For too long the SEC didn't pay much attention to BB, now schools are starting to do so which helps the conference all the way around.