Why Auburn AD John Cohen hasn't made up his mind on SEC football schedule decision

AUBURN — With Texas and Oklahoma set to make their Southeastern Conference debuts in 2024, the conference's power brokers must soon make a decision regarding the football schedule: Will its members play one another eight or nine times per season?

The current format features eight conference games. If the status quo remains, each school would likely have one permanent rival and seven rotating opponents. If a switch to nine games happens, those programs would likely be tasked with having three permanent rivals and six rotating opponents each year.

Auburn athletic director John Cohen doesn't have a straight opinion, yet, on which one he prefers.

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"There's so many factors that I can't explain at this point in time," Cohen said at an AMBUSH event in Huntsville on Thursday. "There's a part of me that thinks if it ain't broke, don't fix it. There's a little bit of that going on right now. But also, that ninth game is extremely important for a variety of reasons. There's a worth connected to it, and that has been defined in many different ways."

The debate dates back to last year's SEC spring meeting in Destin, Florida. Conference presidents, athletic directors and coaches, along with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, will again descend on the Florida Panhandle later this month to hash things out.

And they won't be able to push the decision off for much longer.

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"Yeah, I have a sense (of how the conference thinks)," Sankey said at the Associated Press Sports Editors Southeast region meeting April 17. "That sense has moved and will continue to move. How divided? I don't think it's divided. I think people come out with perspectives and we have a history of bringing those perspectives to a healthy dialog and then eventually we have to make a decision. That's the way I look at the decision making. ...

"As I said last year ... we were poised to make a decision (and) decided the opportunity to gather more information was important and relevant. New information can change people's perspective. ... We'll continue to do that as we advance with the idea that Destin is the decision point."

There's been much conversation over which schools would be Auburn's three permanent rivals if the conference switched to the nine-game format; Alabama and Georgia are the front runners for two of the spots. That topic will surely dominate much of the conversation in Destin.

"I know as a league, we will make the right decision," Cohen said. "Our presidents and chancellors, our athletic directors, Greg Sankey, all of us will get together and make the best decision for the Southeastern Conference."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletic beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.