Kirby Smart is the one energetic coach within the SEC to know what it’s wish to win the SEC championship.
And if his feedback on Thursday come to fruition, he would possibly effectively be the final coach to win the SEC championship game.
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne made headlines on Thursday when he shared he’d be in favor of eliminating the SEC championship game.
As it seems, Byrne will not be alone within the matter. Kirby Smart spoke with Chris Low of On3 and shared an identical opinion on the matter.
Especially if the College Football Playoff have been to increase.
“Where we are right now with 12 teams (in the playoff), I don’t necessarily agree that it needs to quit being played,” Smart told Low. “But if it gets to 16 or 24 and we’ve got to move the end of the season up and we’ve got to get everything done by the second week of January, then I’d say it probably has to go.
“The important thing is we need to gain something, meaning we’re playing that weekend in the first round of the playoff when the SEC championship game is normally being played and playing the season out like an NFL playoff system. But if we’re going to leave it where it is now, with 12 teams in the playoff, I’m not for removing the SEC championship game.”
The College Football Playoff will stay at 12 groups for this upcoming season after the conferences couldn’t agree on an expanded College Football Playoff format.
Smart has come out in support of having an expanded College Football Playoff field, although he has not shared a choice on which specific mannequin he would want.
Smart beforehand raised considerations about the way forward for the SEC championship game following final season’s 28-7 win over Alabama within the game.
In 2026, SEC groups will play a ninth convention game after traditionally taking part in solely eight. That would imply {that a} convention championship game would be a tenth SEC game.
“Those two teams were beat up tonight. That was the ninth game of the year. We’re looking at next year having another game,” Smart said in December. “I mean, the coaches in our league are concerned about it — very concerned about it. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t speak my piece and say it’s concerning.”
Georgia misplaced go rusher Gabe Harris to a toe harm within the SEC championship game and he was unable to play in opposition to Ole Miss within the College Football Playoff. Neither Georgia nor Alabama superior previous the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.
The final SEC workforce standing in final 12 months’s College Football Playoff was Ole Miss, who didn’t play within the SEC championship game.
Smart has always revered the SEC championship game, often stating it’s usually harder to win that game than a nationwide championship. Georgia has received the SEC 4 instances underneath Smart, together with three of the final 4 seasons.
In Smart’s 10 seasons in Athens, Georgia has performed within the SEC championship game eight instances.
“We’ve seen it both ways, but I will never apologize for winning an SEC title,” Smart informed Low. “I think it’s the hardest thing to do in sports, winning the dang SEC title in almost any sport, because our conference is so hard. And when we went to 16 teams in our league, it only made it harder.”
The SEC championship game remains to be set to be performed in Atlanta this 12 months, with the game set to be performed in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 5.
