Last season’s SEC Championship Game was widely debated due to its potential implications on the teams that would be included in the 12-team College Football Playoff field. Head coach Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs defeated coach Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Crimson Tide 28-7 in a one-sided affair at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Ultimately, both the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide were included in the playoff field, but the debate over the efficacy of the conference championship game still lingers.
Kirby Smart Weighs In on SEC Championship Game Debate
During this week’s segment of “The Cellini & Dimino Show,” Smart detailed his support for the SEC Championship Game despite a divisive college football calendar that has inspired widespread discourse among fans, coaches, and analysts.
“I don’t really care what other people think. I love the game,” Smart said. “I think the game is about the footprint of our conference, and it’s the greatest football states in the world, and you know there’s a lot of passion and energy among those schools. Is there a time where I might say that the SEC championship might not be there? Yeah, absolutely.
“It could be headed towards that, but I love the game. I love the championship factor. I love the fact that I didn’t win one as a player and I got to watch and be a part of a ton of them at Alabama. I think it’s great for the student-athlete… If it makes for a longer season, then we can shorten the season, then there’s possibilities around that.”
After playing eight conference games, the Southeastern Conference will move to nine games next season, meaning that the conference championship would be the 10th game for the teams that make it that far. During the offseason, college football teams were unable to agree on an immediate proposal to expand the College Football Playoff field, a factor that, along with a calendar stretching deep into January, has a bearing on the future of the game.
The decision to either keep or abolish the SEC Championship Game would be a monumental one, as the SEC was the first conference to introduce the concept in 1992. Last week, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne predicted the end of the game, stating it has “run its course.” During an appearance on SportsCenter on Thursday, DeBoer weighed in on the debate.
“I think there’s more to it,” DeBoer said. “There are pieces with the Playoff. If you expand the Playoff, what does that mean for the Conference Championship? There’s a lot of things that need to be worked out if you go down that road, especially with the financials.”
DeBoer has coached in two conference championship games, losing to Smart’s Georgia last season and edging coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship Game during his final season at Washington in 2023.
