Pittman on 9-game SEC schedule: 'I liked it the way it was before'
Arkansas head football coach Sam Pittman met with the media on Wednesday for the first of his weekly 10-minute SEC Coaches Teleconferences to preview the Razorbacks’ season opener against Alabama A&M.
Along with giving his thoughts on the Bulldogs, towards the end of the call he was asked about the upcoming SEC schedule taking effect next season that will increase league schedules to nine games after the having an eight-game slate dating back to 1992.
Pittman, who is in his sixth season as Arkansas’ head coach, is not a fan of the change.
“Certainly, I liked it the way that it was before so, honestly, I was not necessarily for the nine-game schedule and I do not think many of our coaches were,” Pittman said. “It just brings another loss to our conference, half of them, brings eight losses to the conference.”
Before taking his first major head coaching job with the Razorbacks, Pittman was the offensive line coach under Kirby Smart for four seasons at Georgia, plus had his stints at Arkansas and Tennessee prior to that so he knows the conference well having been in it every season since 2012.
He also understands the amount of revenue it racks in being what many consider the premier league in America.
“I understand money talks and it will be great for the fans, so there is good and bad on both sides depending on how you’re looking at it,” Pittman said. “We (the SEC) have not won the last two national championships, but we won a whole bunch of them the way that it was before. And I liked it the way it was before.”
Pittman ended the teleconference with good news on the injury front mentioning that transfer wide receiver Raylen Sharpe is “healthy” and “ready to go”, while veteran linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. – who was voted one of the team captains – “Doesn’t seem to be limited much at all, so we expected him to be ready to roll.”
The Razorbacks kick off against Alabama A&M on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. CT and will be aired on the SEC Network.
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