If you’re looking for big, marquee matchups in the SEC this weekend, you'll be hard pressed to find them. Six SEC schools are playing non-conference games against FCS opponents.
This has been an SEC tradition for the last two decades. Typically the week before Rivalry Week, SEC programs schedule games against lighter, non-power opponents—often called “cupcake” games. Although these matchups usually lack excitement, they exist for both financial and scheduling reasons.
Here’s a look at the SEC’s Week 13 cupcake games and why we could see fewer of them starting next season.
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Why are SEC teams playing cupcakes this weekend?
Instead of marquee matchups, several seemingly non-exciting games are on the slate, like Samford-Texas A&M, Charlotte-Georgia, and Eastern Illinois-Alabama.
Although it may seem odd that so many SEC teams face non-power opponents, this has been happening for decades. In 2005, the NCAA allowed FBS teams to play a 12th regular-season game. Several SEC programs jumped at the chance to schedule smaller-conference opponents. Most SEC schools face some of their biggest rivals the following week during Rivalry Week, so “Cupcake Week” provides both a tuneup and an easy-to-capture win.
The games themselves often result in lopsided scores, thanks to the smaller schools being outmatched both coach and personnel-wise. But these games are crucial for non-power schools' survival. The average guaranteed payout an FCS school gets for playing a power school is around $525,000, which helps fund FCS schools' athletic budgets year after year.
From The Orlando Sentinel in 2005:
Athletics directors and NCAA leaders like the additional game for three reasons:
It brings in revenue. For the biggest schools, such as those in the SEC and ACC, an extra game translates into an extra home game and that means at least an additional $1 million for some schools.
Florida reported it would add at least $1.8 million.
Tennessee’s figure was closer to $3 million. For schools such as UCF, the extra date provides an option to bring in a team at home or play another guaranteed game on the road.
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Which SEC schools are playing non-traditional opponents this weekend?
Here's a look at some of the notable cupcake games for Week 13:
- No. 3 Texas A&M vs. Samford: Noon
- No. 4 Georgia vs. Charlotte: 12:45 p.m.
- No. 10 Alabama vs. Eastern Illinois: 2 p.m.
- Auburn vs. Mercer: 2 p.m.
- South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina: 4:15 p.m.
- LSU vs. Western Kentucky: 7:45 p.m.
The games are not expected to be close. Las Vegas lists Georgia as a 43.5-point home favorite, LSU by 21.5, and South Carolina by 24.5. The other three SEC games don’t even have lines listed.
But the good news: there are actually some decent SEC matchups elsewhere.
No. 8 Oklahoma looks to continue its playoff push, hosting No. 22 Missouri at noon. No. 14 Vanderbilt will aim for nine wins for the first time since 2013, playing Kentucky at home at 3:30 p.m.
Arkansas travels to Texas, with a chance to hand the Longhorns a fourth loss of the season. And last but certainly not least, No. 20 Tennessee visits Florida for a heated rivalry game in a sold-out stadium. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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Has an SEC school ever lost a late-season 'cupcake game'?
Although it's rare, there have been a few upsets in these November games.
In 2013, Florida lost at home to Georgia Southern 26-20 during Will Muschamp's second season as the head coach in Gainesville. The Eagles' triple-option offense out-gained Florida in total yardage 429-279 while finishing with zero passing yards. The Gators finished with just 157 rushing yards on the day, too. Florida paid the Eagles a cool $550,000 to play the game:
Most recently, South Carolina fell 23-22 at home to The Citadel in 2015. Citadel quarterback Dominique Allen had just 37 passing yards, and the Gamecocks were held to just 72 yards rushing. That was the season head coach Steve Spurrier resigned midseason, and was coached by interim Shawn Elliott. SC finished 3-9 on the year.
It would be quite the surprise if we see one of the SEC teams fall to an FCS team this weekend. FBS teams are 118-4 against FCS opponents with a margin of victory of 34.5 points, according to Sportradar. Power conference teams are also winning those games by an average of 42.7 points.
Will the upcoming 9-game SEC schedule eliminate 'cupcake week'?
Not entirely, but there are likely going to be a few less starting next season. As announced earlier this year, the SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2025. That means that there is one less opportunity for teams to schedule FCS schools. But for now, FCS commissioners are confident the games aren't going away.
“We at the FCS level, and certainly in the Southern Conference, we like these games,” Southern Conference commissioner Michael Cross said this week via The Athletic. “The fan bases at our schools like those opportunities. The athletes and coaches like those competitive opportunities. … I don’t see a lessening of the appetite on the part of our ADs to continue to play these types of games on an annual basis.”
As previously mentioned, these games are vital for smaller schools' survival, so they aren't going away entirely. But there may be some shuffling as far as when these games are played, thanks to how the new nine-game schedule is expected to be laid out.
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