The 2020 college football season has been a season of change, and the SEC made two major tweaks to its scheduling matrix on Friday. The conference approved a measure that allows Saturday, Dec. 19 -- the same day of the SEC Championship Game -- to be a makeup date for the 12 teams that aren't playing for the SEC title.
The conference also approved a more flexible scheduling format that allows teams that have games postponed due to their opponents' roster limitations to play each other as long as the decision is made by the Monday before the scheduled Saturday game. There are guidelines on what matchups can be rescheduled, though. Teams can't schedule rematches from games played earlier in the season, and no new matchups can take place.
For instance, had Arkansas coach Sam Pittman's positive test traveled through the Arkansas program and forced a postponement this weekend vs. Florida, the Gators and Tennessee -- which had its game postponed due to COVID-19 problems at Texas A&M -- could have moved up their game that is scheduled for Dec. 5. In that same light, had Auburn not shut its football operation down after its game vs. Mississippi State was postponed earlier this week, the Iron Bowl vs. Alabama could have been moved up from Nov. 28.
"It has been a goal of the SEC to play a complete football schedule provided we maintain a healthy environment for student-athletes and everyone around our football programs," said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. "The added flexibility of a December 19 playing date for teams that do not qualify for the SEC Football Championship and the ability to adjust opponents on five-day notification provide a greater opportunity for our schools to play a full schedule of games in 2020."
This comes on the heels of a wild week in the SEC. Four of the seven games originally scheduled for this weekend were postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing -- Auburn at Mississippi State, Alabama at LSU, Texas A&M at Tennessee and Georgia at Missouri.
