In preparation for Texas and Oklahoma joining the Southeastern Conference in 2024, officials within the league have approved a new regular season format for seven sports — one being baseball.
The biggest change to the existing model is that there will no longer be an East and West division beginning in the 2024-2025 season. SEC teams will compete in a free-for-all system that allows the team with the best record to emerge at the top of conference rankings.
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.
Brian Hadad with SportsTalk Mississippi says the new schedule format solves a potential geographical problem while also allowing SEC teams to face new conference foes on a yearly basis.
“It becomes a geographical thing. Missouri is already in the East. Can you really put Texas or Oklahoma in the East to balance things out? It just doesn’t make sense at that point,” Hadad explained. “With 16 teams, it just makes more sense to go to a three permanent, six rotating, and just lose the divisions. The top two teams in the conference will just go to the SEC championship game.”
The format for the SEC Baseball Tournament, which is typically held in Hoover, Ala., has yet to be determined.
Watch the full interview with Hadad below.
