The SEC on Friday formally established the minimum roster thresholds that will be required to trigger a postponement or cancellation of a game.
The numbers are similar to those set by the Big 12, with the key difference being only scholarship players are counted for the purposes of this exercise.
To play a football game, the SEC has established minimum thresholds of at least 53 scholarship players available to participate and the following minimum number of position scholarship players available to begin a game: seven (7) offensive linemen (which includes one center), one (1) quarterback and four (4) defensive linemen. The impacted institution has the option to play the game with fewer than the 53 scholarship players or fewer than the minimum number of position players listed above if it elects to do so. Otherwise, upon approval by the Commissioner, the game would be rescheduled or declared a no contest.
The conference has also provided its member schools a "Our starting QB is shut down by contact tracing" get out of jail free card, though such a move is left up to the authority of commissioner Greg Sankey.
In addition, should an institution determine there are compelling reasons why it cannot begin a contest regardless of the scholarship and position minimums above, the institution may request to have the game rescheduled or, if the game cannot be rescheduled, for the game to be considered a no contest by presenting data (including total number of players not available to participate) outlining reasons why the game should not be played as scheduled. The final decision to reschedule or declare the game a no contest is vested only with the Commissioner.
After skipping the first three weeks of the season, rubber-meets-road time is approaching in SEC country. The conference will kick off with seven games next weekend. They are:
No. 5 Florida at Ole Miss -- noon ET, ESPN
No. 23 Kentucky at No. 8 Auburn -- noon ET, SEC Network
Mississippi State at No. 6 LSU -- 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 4 Georgia at Arkansas -- 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network
No. 2 Alabama at Missouri -- 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Vanderbilt at No. 10 Texas A&M -- 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network Alternate
No. 15 Tennessee at South Carolina -- 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.