Hey SEC… How Does $80 Million Sound To Add A Ninth Conference Game?

Image: USA Today

By Cody McClure

A recent report from The Athletic states that ESPN could be willing to increase its annual payout to the SEC.

The stipulation — the conference needs to add a ninth game to the schedule.

The estimated offer from ESPN/Disney could be as much as $80 million annually to the SEC with the range being between $50-80 million.

Currently the deal with the SEC is around $811 million per year so this could be a pretty good — maybe as much as 10 percent — chunk added to that.

It seems to make sense. More conference games means more big-time matchups means more ratings means more ad money for ESPN.

The SEC has played eight conference games since it expanded with the additions of Arkansas and South Carolina in 1992.

A ninth conference game would be great. Nobody wants to see four weeks on the calendar that include Auburn vs. Hofstra and Georgia vs. Mercer.

We’ll still have those games built in here and there but each team having an additional marquee opponent would lessen those boring weeks.

Greg Sankey has said in the past that he favors a nine-game schedule.

Seems like a no-brainer to take the millions of dollars and make this happen.