SEC coaches are more accepting of youthful mistakes amid roster engagement in the portal era

By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference increased travel rosters from 70 to 74 players this season. It’s a change coaches pushed for at the SEC’s annual spring meetings in May. It also helps with roster engagement that puts freshmen on the field and potentially keeps them out of the transfer portal. Although some argue the expansion was designed simply to reward more guys for working hard in practice or the classroom, there’s little doubt it also helps retain youngsters who might be contemplating more playing time elsewhere. To combat that, coaches have ended up slotting freshmen in specialty roles. It often leads to less-than-desirable outcomes like penalties, burned timeouts, mental errors and miscommunication.