With the SEC expanding to 16 teams next year, the schedule rotation is going to be very different moving forward. Alabama’s Nick Saban is worried that the fans will suffer for it.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Saban pointed out that there are a number of rivalry games that have “tremendous fan interest.” He’s worried that people will be disappointed if any of Alabama’s games against arch-rivals like Auburn, LSU and Tennessee are moved around.
“We have some natural rivalry games here that have tremendous fan interest,” Nick Saban said, via On3. “Whether it’s Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU. If you’re only going to play one of those, somebody is going to be disappointed.”
Alabama play LSU this week and will play all three of those teams next year as well. After that though, things can get a little murky.
Game Week Central – LSUhttps://t.co/QxjUzNgJbY#RollTide pic.twitter.com/awZiFz4FCp
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) October 30, 2023
But while the strength of some rivalry games might die down under the new expansion rules, new potential rivalries could take their place.
An Alabama rivalry with Texas would instantly have legs after the stakes of their last two meetings, and there’s no love lost between the Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners either.
Is Nick Saban onto something here?