DESTIN, Fla. -- SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Thursday that football teams will play an eight-game league schedule in 2024 when Texas and Oklahoma join the conference.
The schedule format for 2024 was approved by a vote of the SEC presidents and chancellors after a recommendation from athletics directors at SEC Spring Meetings. During the one-year schedule bridge, SEC programs will play the eight conference games plus one required opponent from a Power 5 conference or major independent program.
Each team's schedule in 2024, when the divisional format will be eliminated, will be announced June 14 on the SEC Network. Dates of the games will be announced at a later time.
"We have been engaged in planning for the entry of Oklahoma and Texas into the SEC since the summer of 2021, but the change of the membership date from 2025 to 2024 creates scheduling complexities that can better be managed with a one-year schedule," Sankey said. "Creating a one-year schedule will provide a longer on-ramp to manage football scheduling around existing non-conference commitments of our members.
"It will also provide additional time to understand the impact of an expanded College Football Playoff and engage with our media partners as we determine the appropriate long-term plan for SEC football scheduling."
Sankey told reporters there will be "continuing dialogue" around the eight- and nine-game schedule, and long-term options, which have been punted consecutive years, are fully open for 2025 and beyond.
With the 2024 scheduling approach, Sankey said he thinks fans will be able to enjoy traditional rivalries. He added that schedules released later this month will be determined based on an "expectation of fairness and balance."
Asked if he expected to have a long-term scheduling solution in a year, Sankey said, "Oh yeah. Certainly, that is the focus. Nobody wants to go through this every year. This was really thoughtful and we think it's the right thing to do."
Sankey described the eight-game schedule in 2024 as a "really healthy, one-year opportunity" and added that the league could stick with eight games after 2024.
Sankey was asked what he would say to those who will criticize the league for shying away from its own competition by not adopting a long-term, nine-game model.
"Look, over time, nobody is shying away from anything," he said. "We just didn't add another game during a period of transition. And if you're that impatient, I'm glad you're not leading a conference. We're going to use the ability to look deeply at how we walk through issues, how we deal with change around the [College Football Playoff], how we work with our media partner in a positive way.
"We're going to begin our new relationship with an eight-game schedule, and if the level of impatience is simply intolerable for those who want to criticize me, you know, OK. ... I'm confident we'll thrive."
Arkansas has its nonconference schedule completed for 2024, including the mandated Power 5 game at Oklahoma State from the Big 12. That game in Stillwater, Okla., is scheduled for Sept. 7, 2024.
The Razorbacks are also scheduled to play nonconference games in 2024 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Little Rock on Aug. 31, and in Fayetteville against Alabama-Birmingham on Sept. 14 and Louisiana Tech on Nov. 23.
Arkansas is under contract to play Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, through the 2024 season. The game that year will count as a home game for the Aggies.
The Razorbacks were expected to play Missouri each season under any scheduling model approved this week.
In other news Thursday, an SEC release stated each member school prior to Aug. 1 every year must provide the league office with a detailed field/court rush management plan, and a communication plan that discourages students and fans from entering the playing surface and details increased penalty amounts.
Schools will be fined $100,000 for the first future offense and $500,000 for subsequent offenses. Previous fines ranged from $50,000 to $250,000.
Penalty periods can reset if a school is free from a field or court storming violation in all sports for four consecutive years.
"I have the ability to impose additional penalties," Sankey said, "and those fines will be paid directly to the opposing institution. So, if you're a visitor who is rushed in this conference, then you will be the recipient of that fine money."
Arkansas was fined twice, totaling $350,000, during the 2021-22 academic year for violations following a football game against Texas and a basketball game against Auburn.