DESTIN, Fla. — The SEC men’s basketball scheduling format is slightly more settled than football. According to several coaches, the leading proposal is an 18-game schedule with home-and-home games against one “permanent” rival, home-and-homes against four other teams that rotate off the schedule, and eight games against the other SEC teams.

The concept would guarantee two games each year against one “permanent” opponent. This model, however, would only be in place for three years in order to provide the quickest avenue for every school to play each SEC team twice in a year.

“The ADs will have to finalize it, but I think we’re pretty much there,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, who declined to discuss specifics. “It will be finalized Friday. I don’t think there’s any question about that.”

Florida coach Billy Donovan said the Gators’ permanent rival would be Kentucky, a decision that TV would clearly support. Alabama and Auburn would likely be permanent rivals, assuring they will play each other twice annually for at least the next three years.

Tennessee had hoped for at least two home-and-home opponents — Vanderbilt and Kentucky — but the proposal leaves only Tennessee paired with Vanderbilt. Other permanent rivals: Missouri-Arkansas, LSU-Texas A&M, Georgia-South Carolina and Ole Miss-Mississippi State.

“There were coaches who had some concerns and questions — who they’re playing, who’s coming on, who’s coming off,” Donovan said. “Some coaches wanted geographically more of a natural rival. I’d say there’s some level of concern for everybody because this is totally new.”

via SEC spring meetings notebook: Top basketball schedule format emerges | al.com.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 favors a selection committee to be involved in picking the four teams involved in a college football playoff instead of a system that would emphasize conference champions.

Interim commissioner Chuck Neinas also said during the league’s spring meeting Tuesday that the current Big 12 membership is content with 10 schools after inviting TCU and West Virginia, though he left open the potential for future expansion.

Several configurations of a four-team playoff are being presented at conference meetings around the country. How the teams will be picked is one of the items up for debate. One model is based upon picking the four best teams and the other model involves conference champions playing their way in.

“We’re in favor of taking the four highest-ranked teams,” said Neinas, who has begun to transfer power to new Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsy. “We think it should be some type of selection committee operation, and how you rate a conference champion, strength of schedule must be included.”

Iowa State’s Jamie Pollard, the chairman of the conference’s athletic directors, believes a human element to the selection process means Oklahoma State would have been involved in a playoff last season.

The Cowboys missed out on playing for the championship when they finished behind Alabama in the BCS standings, relegated instead to playing in the Fiesta Bowl. The Crimson Tide failed to win its division in the SEC, yet managed to beat LSU — the team that did — to win the national title.

“There needs to be a human element to kind of handle the unknowns. You can’t always say computers get it right or opinion polls will get it perfect,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said. “You still need someone with good, rational thinking to deal with unforseen circumstances that may come up.

via Big 12 in favor of a selection committee to be involved in picking 4-team college football playoff – ESPN.