Conference Expansion: Alabama & SEC release 2012 football schedule

The conference expansion drama now moves to its next stage as fans get a chance to look at the 2012 SEC football schedule. According to the SEC release, conference leaders will meet to develop a plan for future schedules and “scheduling principles.”

Slive released this comment: “The SEC transition team and our athletic directors did a great job with significant logistical challenges in a short time frame in developing the 2012 football conference schedule,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “The ability to come together for the conference is what makes the SEC so strong and that was evident yet again in this process.”

Take a look below at Alabama’s schedule and the rest of the SEC. What do you think? Share your thoughts below. Included is Alabama’s official release

VIA UA: The 2012 University of Alabama football schedule was finalized Wednesday and includes seven home games in Bryant-Denny Stadium and five on the road, including the season-opener against Michigan in Cowboys Stadium. The Crimson Tide will host Mississippi, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Auburn while traveling to Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and LSU in conference play next season.

The 2012 schedule includes first-year league members Missouri and Texas A&M, and is not based on any other previous or future scheduling formats. The SEC Athletic Directors will convene in Spring 2012 to begin formulating scheduling principles for the 2013 season and beyond.

The 2012 schedule is based on divisional play that started in 1992. Missouri will participate in the Eastern Division while Texas A&M will play in the Western Division. The conference schedule will remain at eight regular season games, with six games played inside the division and two games against teams from the opposite division.

The 2012 SEC Championship Game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The entire slate of 2012 conference games will be televised by one of the SEC’s television partners – CBS Sports, any of the ESPN platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN3.com), CSS or FS South.

2012 ALABAMA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Site
Sept. 1 ^vs. Michigan Arlington, Tex. (Cowboys Stadium)
Sept. 8 Western Kentucky Bryant-Denny Stadium
Sept. 15 *at Arkansas TBD
Sept. 22 Florida Atlantic Bryant-Denny Stadium
Sept. 29 *Mississippi Bryant-Denny Stadium
Oct. 6 Open Date
Oct. 13 *at Missouri Columbia, Mo.
Oct. 20 *at Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn.
Oct. 27 *Mississippi State Bryant-Denny Stadium
Nov. 3 *at LSU Baton Rouge, La.
Nov. 10 *Texas A&M Bryant-Denny Stadium
Nov. 17 Western Carolina Bryant-Denny Stadium
Nov. 24 *Auburn Bryant-Denny Stadium

Here is the breakdown for the entire SEC as released by the SEC on its official website:

2012 SEC Football Schedule (Conference Games Only)
Week-by-Week

Aug. 30
South Carolina at Vanderbilt

Sept. 8
Auburn at Mississippi State
Florida at Texas A&M
Georgia at Missouri

Sept. 15
Alabama at Arkansas
Florida at Tennessee

Sept. 22
LSU at Auburn
Kentucky at Florida
Vanderbilt at Georgia
Missouri at South Carolina

Sept. 29
Ole Miss at Alabama
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M
Tennessee at Georgia
South Carolina at Kentucky

Oct. 6
Mississippi State at Kentucky
Arkansas at Auburn
LSU at Florida
Georgia at South Carolina
Texas A&M at Ole Miss
Vanderbilt at Missouri

Oct. 13
Alabama at Missouri
Kentucky at Arkansas
Auburn at Ole Miss
Florida at Vanderbilt
South Carolina at LSU
Tennessee at Mississippi State

Oct. 20
Alabama at Tennessee
Auburn at Vanderbilt
South Carolina at Florida
Georgia at Kentucky
LSU at Texas A&M

Oct. 27
Ole Miss at Arkansas
Texas A&M at Auburn
Florida vs. Georgia (Jacksonville)
Kentucky at Missouri
Tennessee at South Carolina
Mississippi State at Alabama

Nov. 3
Alabama at LSU
Missouri at Florida
Ole Miss at Georgia
Vanderbilt at Kentucky
Texas A&M at Mississippi State

Nov. 10
Texas A&M at Alabama
Arkansas at South Carolina
Georgia at Auburn
Mississippi State at LSU
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss
Missouri at Tennessee

Nov. 17
Arkansas at Mississippi State
Ole Miss at LSU
Tennessee at Vanderbilt

Nov. 24
Auburn at Alabama
LSU at Arkansas
Kentucky at Tennessee
Mississippi State at Ole Miss
Missouri at Texas A&M

Team-By-Team

ALABAMA
Sept. 15: at Arkansas
Sept. 29: OLE MISS
Oct. 13: at Missouri
Oct. 20: at Tennessee
Oct. 27: MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 3: at LSU
Nov. 10: TEXAS A&M
Nov. 24: AUBURN

ARKANSAS
Sept. 15: ALABAMA
Sept. 29: vs. Texas A&M
Oct. 6: at Auburn
Oct. 13: KENTUCKY
Oct. 27: OLE MISS
Nov. 10: at South Carolina
Nov. 17: at Mississippi State
Nov. 24: LSU

AUBURN
Sept. 8: at Mississippi State
Sept. 22: LSU
Oct. 6: ARKANSAS
Oct. 13: at Ole Miss
Oct. 20: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 27: TEXAS A&M
Nov. 10: GEORGIA
Nov. 24: at Alabama

FLORIDA
Sept. 8: at Texas A&M
Sept. 15: at Tennessee
Sept. 22: KENTUCKY
Oct. 6: LSU
Oct. 13: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 20: SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 27: vs. Georgia (Jacksonville)
Nov. 3: MISSOURI

GEORGIA
Sept. 8: at Missouri
Sept. 22: VANDERBILT
Sept. 29: TENNESSEE
Oct. 6: at South Carolina
Oct. 20: at Kentucky
Oct. 27: vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Nov. 3: OLE MISS
Nov. 10: at Auburn

KENTUCKY
Sept. 22: at Florida
Sept. 29: SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 6: MISSISSIPPI STATE
Oct. 13: at Arkansas
Oct. 20: GEORGIA
Oct. 27: at Missouri
Nov. 3: VANDERBILT
Nov. 24: at Tennessee

LSU
Sept. 22: at Auburn
Oct. 6: at Florida
Oct. 13: SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 20: at Texas A&M
Nov. 3: ALABAMA
Nov. 10: MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 17: OLE MISS
Nov. 24: at Arkansas

OLE MISS
Sept. 29: at Alabama
Oct. 6: TEXAS A&M
Oct. 13: AUBURN
Oct. 27: at Arkansas
Nov. 3: at Georgia
Nov. 10: VANDERBILT
Nov. 17: at LSU
Nov. 24: MISSISSIPPI STATE

MISSISSIPPI STATE
Sept. 8: AUBURN
Oct. 6: at Kentucky
Oct. 13: TENNESSEE
Oct. 27: at Alabama
Nov. 3: TEXAS A&M
Nov. 10: at LSU
Nov. 17: ARKANSAS
Nov. 24: at Ole Miss

MISSOURI
Sept. 8: GEORGIA
Sept. 22: at South Carolina
Oct. 6: VANDERBILT
Oct. 13: ALABAMA
Oct. 27: KENTUCKY
Nov. 3: at Florida
Nov. 10: at Tennessee
Nov. 24: at Texas A&M

SOUTH CAROLINA
Aug. 30: at Vanderbilt
Sept. 22: MISSOURI
Sept. 29: at Kentucky
Oct. 6: GEORGIA
Oct. 13: at LSU
Oct. 20: at Florida
Oct. 27: TENNESSEE
Nov. 10: ARKANSAS

TENNESSEE
Sept. 15: FLORIDA
Sept. 29: at Georgia
Oct. 13: at Mississippi State
Oct. 20: ALABAMA
Oct. 27: at South Carolina
Nov. 10: MISSOURI
Nov. 17: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 24: KENTUCKY

TEXAS A&M
Sept. 8: FLORIDA
Sept. 29: vs. Arkansas
Oct. 6: at Ole Miss
Oct. 20: LSU
Oct. 27: at Auburn
Nov. 3: at Mississippi State
Nov. 10: at Alabama
Nov. 24: MISSOURI

VANDERBILT
Aug. 30: SOUTH CAROLINA
Sept. 22: at Georgia
Oct. 6: at Missouri
Oct. 13: FLORIDA
Oct. 20: AUBURN
Nov. 3: at Kentucky
Nov. 10: at Ole Miss
Nov. 17: TENNESSEE