It just means more … paperwork.
And transparency.
The Southeastern Conference, which late last month instituted a new, mandatory player-availability policy, will usher in that new era with this week’s first league matchup as South Carolina travels to Kentucky (3:30 p.m., ABC).
The SEC has five official designations that teams must provide in their first report due three days before a conference matchup, and the gameday report must specify if each player is “available,” “game-time decision” or “out” on gameday, with those finalized reports due 90 minutes before scheduled kick off.
The SEC has emphasized that the policy is for player availabilities and absolutely not an injury report; the documents are required only for intraconference contests.
“I'm kind of indifferent, I'll be honest with you,” Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer said of the new policy. “Certainly, I will see a list of what we’re going to submit, how we are listing our players (available, questionable, out), but it's not like I’m going to be spending a lot of time on it.
“I've always kind of been one of those guys, it is what it is, not super-secretive about that kind of stuff. If it's an injury, get it out there. The guys know.”
Count Georgia coach Kirby Smart among proponents of the reports because he believes it alleviates external pressures on players.
“I think it will go well,” said Smart, whose top-ranked Bulldogs smashed Clemson, 34-3, last week. “I think it’s equitable, at least across our conference, and takes the pressure off of the reporting for the coaches, at least in our world, to our training staff.
“Takes the pressure off from a gambling perspective. Anything that puts our student-athletes at a risk, that they might … what’s the right … they might be manipulated for information, they might be used to try to gather stuff. If it’s open and if it’s out there, certainly makes it more equitable.”
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby is organizing a group of individuals who will work together to formulate the Bulldogs’ availability reports each week.
“As we get closer to that we’ll iron out all the details of how that will operate,” Lebby said of the SEC’s weekly teleconference. “Once we get to that point, we’ll have it all ironed out and ready to go.”
Beamer admits the midweek report – due to the league’s office by today since the two teams play Saturday – is a bit more of an adjustment.
“It will take some time, obviously,” Beamer said. “Particularly Wednesdays, like today just before I got on this call, we just got off the practice field, and I was texting with our trainers, asking how guys looked today.”