Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

Kirby Smart Says SEC 'Seem Different' After Florida Win

He warned that rising NIL income and the SEC’s shift to a 105‑scholarship model with revenue sharing may be changing player drive, practice habits and roster depth in ways that could affect the conference race.

Oct 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart looks on prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Overview

  • Following Saturday's 27-8 victory over Florida, Georgia coach Kirby Smart publicly said the SEC 'seem different' and that players were 'definitely hungrier' during his 2021 and 2022 national championship runs.
  • Smart described a puzzling trend where 'everybody's practicing less, but everybody's getting injured more,' and he said that mismatch could expose teams with thinner benches later in the season.
  • He singled out the conference's move to a 105-scholarship limit and the start of revenue sharing as structural changes that may be reducing roster depth.
  • Smart framed the shift as both cultural and financial, noting many current players now earn substantial NIL money and that those earnings can alter motivation compared with earlier years.
  • Media outlets and other coaches have used Smart's comments to highlight a broader discussion about growing parity and unpredictability in the 2026 SEC season while noting his remarks are observational rather than proven causation.