The Southeastern Conference is moving toward scrapping its two-division basketball format in favor of one 12-team division, the Sporting News reported Thursday.
The proposal was recommended by the league's coaches Wednesday, but must be approved next week by school athletic directors at the SEC's annual meetings in Destin, Fla.
"I'm pleased that we've come to this conclusion," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said. "I think it's better for SEC basketball."
The SEC moved to two divisions of six teams for basketball when Arkansas and South Carolina joined the league in 1991. In recent years, the East division has been the superior men's basketball grouping, with Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Tennessee making regular NCAA Tournament appearances.
None of the SEC West division teams qualified for the past two men's NCAA tournaments.
The conference plans to keep the two-division format in place for football.
