It has been widely reported that Texas is canceling a home-and-home series with Arizona State. This was supposed to happen in the 2032 and 2033 seasons. This is on the heels of Florida canceling a 2028 and 2031 series with Arizona State. This is happening largely because the SEC is going to have 9 conference games instead of 8 conference games. This is a short-sighted precedent that SEC teams are setting because, in the long run, these games between conferences should still matter.
An example of the importance of non-conference games was this past season between Miami and Notre Dame. They meant week one in an important game. Miami upset Notre Dame, and it helped propel them to the College Football National Championship game. These match-ups matter so much, and for the SEC teams to want to cancel them is flat-out wrong.
It is not just SEC teams. USC recently discontinued its rivalry with Notre Dame. Now that had more to do with when it should be played, so I was a little more forgiving to them, but still, it is not good to lose that key rivalry. It is a shame that USC and Notre Dame will not play going forward.
The other frustrating part is that the SEC teams will just pick up another game against a team from a lower level. An example of this was last season when Alabama played Eastern Illinois the week before they played Auburn. SEC teams regularly schedule weaker teams late in the season. Alabama does deserve credit, though; they did go on the road and play Florida State last season. A game they were defeated in. I bet we find games like that far less often.
The flip side of the case of Texas last season. They finished 9-3 and missed out on the College Football Playoffs, partly because they lost to Ohio State in week one. If they played a team from a lesser conference like the MAC or Sun Belt and won, they might have made the College Football Playoff. The other angle is that they went on the road and lost to a horrible Florida team. So, if they win that game, they'll be 10-2 and still possibly make the College Football Playoff.
This trend will continue as teams value making the College Football Playoff over everything else. In the world of College Football, where tradition matters, playing fewer games between different conferences should matter. Next season, Ohio State plays at Texas; this might be the last time we see Texas host another Big Ten team for a non-conference match-up in a long time. It is a shame it came to this.