Future Scheduling Formats for Seven SEC Sports Are Approved
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Presidents and Chancellors of the Southeastern Conference approved future regular season schedule and post-season championship formats for seven Southeastern Conference sports during a meeting at the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville last week. The future formats were approved in preparation for the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC beginning with the 2024-25 athletic year.
Regular season schedule formats were approved for baseball, gymnastics, and men’s and women’s swimming & diving.
Championship formats were approved for gymnastics, swimming & diving, indoor track & field, and return of the SEC Volleyball Tournament which has not been held since the 2005 season.
Regular season schedule and championship formats have previously been approved in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, soccer, men’s and women’s tennis and softball. The current regular season and championship formats in the sports of men’s and women’s cross country, equestrian, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field accommodate the addition of Oklahoma and Texas without additional adjustments.
Still to be determined are regular season formats in football and volleyball and the post-season tournament format in baseball.
Baseball
- Regular season: Each season a team will play a three-game series against two permanent opponents and eight rotating opponents, for a total of 30 conference games. Standings will be kept in a single-division format.
- SEC Baseball Tournament: Format to be determined.
Gymnastics
- Regular season: Each school sponsoring a gymnastics team will meet each other member institution at least once a year on an alternating home and away basis, consistent with the current process. An additional week will be required to accommodate nine teams.
- SEC Gymnastics Championships: The championship will move from a one-day event to a two-day format. The semifinals will consist of two sessions of four teams each. The top seed will receive a bye to the championship. The top seed plus the two session winners in the semifinals and the team with the next highest score in the semifinals will advance to a four-team championship.
Swimming & Diving (Men’s and Women’s)
- Regular season: The Conference Office will schedule two dual meets per program and each institution is responsible for establishing the dates and times of the meets, consistent with the current process.
- SEC Swimming & Diving Championships: Same as current format with updated facility requirements.
Indoor Track & Field (Men’s and Women’s)
- Regular season: Each school sponsoring an indoor track and field team will schedule teams from other Conference institutions at its own discretion, consistent with the current process.
- SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships: The championship will move from a two-day event to a three-day format.
Volleyball
- Regular season: Format to be determined.
- SEC Volleyball Tournament: A Conference tournament will be conducted for the first time since 2005. All Conference teams will participate. Still to be determined is whether the SEC Volleyball Tournament will resume following the 2024 season or following the 2025 season.
