The only way it will not be 9 games is if it actually goes to 10 games. The road game every other year gets balanced out by the Power 5 team being a home team every year that the 5th road game kicks in. Do you think the B1G, PAC 12, and Big 12 went to 9 games and didn’t consider all that you just mentioned? By the way, the ****** *** B1G still landed a bigger TV deal than the SEC largely by virtue of that 9 game conference schedule. There absolutely will be 9 SEC games absolutely no later than when the expanded CFP rolls around, and likely way before. There is too much money being left on the table without it.
The B1G landed a bigger contract mainly because the SEC signed a ****** long term deal with CBS years ago. They also have a much larger TV audience. The B1G's combined ESPN/FOX deal is worth about $440 million per year. Disney just agreed to pay the SEC something in the low 300s per year for a 10 year deal. This has nothing to do with the number of total conference games on the schedule: There are going to be quality SEC games every single weekend whether we play an 8 or 12 game schedule. The details of the contract have not been released so we do not know if adding Texas and OU will have any impact on the price paid by Disney. Probably not....CBS was not required to chip in anymore money the last time the conference expanded, but maybe Sankey was looking forward and included the right to demand more money.
However, the contract requires every single SEC game to be televised by ABC/ESPN, and I doubt the payment will change just because there are more conference matchups....so what money is being left on the table? The only money I see being left on the table is the payout teams get for playing big out of conference road games that are not part of the conference deal with Disney. Schools can get a little extra money for that and do not have to split it with other SEC teams (at least I don't think they do). ESPN will actually have FEWER games to televise if we increase the number of conference matchups, but presumably will be able to charge more for the advertising so it should be a wash. Regardless, the revenue comes form the afternoon ABC game and the primetime ESPN matchups, and the other televised games are more or less a favor to the conference in exchange for exclusivity.
Schools will not simply be able to "balance out" their schedule with the Power 5 out of conference games. For one thing, those games are already set well into the future, and the SEC schedule is only now even being considered. Some of those Power 5 matchups might be willing to swap their home and away dates, but they have their own schedules to look after. And, occasionally some SEC schools will get have to swap their 4/5 split so that they can rotate their matchups with other division schools. Plus, schools are currently planning on having 8 home games on those years their Power 5 matchup is at home, and now they will only have 7 at best...maybe only 6 on those years their Power 5 game is away.
I really cannot see Alabama agreeing to have just 6 home games out of a 12 game schedule. Of course, they can buyout a scheduled non conference game or move a neutral site game to Tuscaloosa, but there are issues.
And you will definitely have complaints when some a tiebreaker of some sort comes down to one team that had 5 home games and one team that only had 4.
I'm even wondering if we will keep the SEC Championship game? Probably depends on what direction the CFP goes.
The point is, there is a lot to be considered. But I don't think your claim of "money being left on the table" is one of those things.
