Kirby Smart shares why he’d be in favor of eliminating SEC championship game
Kirby Smart is the only active coach in the SEC to know what it is like to win the SEC championship.
And if his comments on Thursday come to fruition, he might well be the last 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 turns out, Bryne is not alone in the matter. Smart spoke with Chris Low of On3 and shared a similar opinion on the matter.
Especially if the College Football Playoff were to expand.
“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 remain at 12 teams for the upcoming season after the conferences could not agree on an expanded format.
Smart has come out in support of an expanded College Football Playoff field, though he has not shared a preference for a particular model.
Smart previously raised concerns about the future of the SEC championship game following last season’s 28-7 win over Alabama in the game.
In 2026, SEC teams will play a ninth conference game, having historically played only eight. That would mean that a conference championship game would be a 10th 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.”
Smart has always revered the SEC championship game, frequently stating that it’s often more difficult to win than a national championship. Georgia has won the SEC four times under Smart, including three of the last four seasons.
In Smart’s 10 seasons in Athens, Georgia has played in the SEC championship game eight times.
The SEC championship game is still set to be played in Atlanta this year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 5.
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
