Report: SEC favors 10-game conference-only football schedule

The Southeastern Conference is closer to shifting to a 10-game football schedule consisting of only conference games, Sports Illustrated first reported Wednesday.

The league currently plays eight regular-season conference games and four nonconference games, but a majority of SEC athletics directors agreed to a 10-game conference-only schedule during a virtual meeting Wednesday, SI reported, citing unnamed sources. The league's presidents and chancellors would have to approve the measure. They're scheduled to meet virtually on Thursday. 

“It is not appropriate to respond to anonymous sources and speculation," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. "We continue our discussions focused on the return of fall sports, including football. We will announce any decisions at the appropriate time.”  

Should the SEC adopt the new plan, it's unclear if teams would play their current eight league opponents and schedule two more teams from the opposite division. The league could also scrap division play for the 2020 season and schedule 10 travel-friendly opponents within the conference.

Mizzou currently has home nonconfernece games scheduled against Central Arkansas, Eastern Michigan and Louisiana-Lafayette and a road game against Brigham Young in Provo, Utah. The Tigers play their six fellow Eastern Division teams plus Western Division teams Mississippi State and Arkansas.

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If the SEC aims to cut down on travel for the fall, Mizzou is closer in proximity to several West schools: Six of the nine closest SEC schools to Columbia, Mo., are from the West, while three of the four farthest away are from the East: Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. 

Earlier this month the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences already canceled all of their nonconference games. 

On Wednesday, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced plans for 11-game football schedules made up of 10 conference games and one nonconference game for its member schools, including Notre Dame, which will shift from playing six to 10 ACC schools. All nonconference games must be played in the home state of the ACC school and nonconference opponents must meet the medical protocol requirements set by the ACC. There will be no division play and the top two teams in the conference standings will play in the ACC championship game on Dec. 12 or 19 in Charlotte. Notre Dame will be eligible to play in the championship game.

Should the SEC move forward with 10-game schedules, that leaves the Big 12 among the Power 5 conferences to announce a new model. But schools in the Big 12 seem intent on playing their complete schedules and in some cases are moving games up a week to provide more flexibility during the fall. Oklahoma moved its game against Missouri State from Sept. 5 to Aug. 29, while Kansas added a game against Southern Illinois for Aug. 29 to replace a Sept. 5 game against New Hampshire after the Colonial Athletic Association suspended its fall seasons.