SEC officially announces move to nine conference games in 2026

The SEC is all set to play nine conference games moving forward.

The SEC announced on Thursday that the conference is moving from eight conference games to nine. The development arrives after multiple years of uncertainty for the conference and means the SEC would soon play the same number of conference games as the Big Ten and the Big 12.

"Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities' commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. "This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff."

The conference announced that the new format will see:

1) The SEC continue with a single-standings, non-divisional structure

2) Each school will play three annual opponents focused on "maintaining many traditional rivalries"

3) Each team's remaining six games will rotate among the remaining schools

4) Each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years and every opponent home and away in four years

Additionally, SEC teams are required to schedule at least one additional high quality non-conference from the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, or Big 12 conferences or Notre Dame each season.

"The SEC has established itself as the leader in delivering the most compelling football schedule in college athletics," Sankey said. "Fans will see traditional rivalries preserved, new matchups more frequently, and a level of competition unmatched across the nation."

The SEC and the ACC are the only power conferences that will play eight conference games in 2025. Sankey pointed out at SEC Media Days that all 16 of the SEC's teams played at least nine power opponents in 2024 and added that several played 10 power opponents during that season.

The conversation around the SEC's conference schedules picked up when Texas and Oklahoma joined the conference for the 2024 season. The SEC had conversations about changing the format then before sticking with an eight-game schedule for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

The SEC's decision comes months after The Athletic reported that ESPN was willing to pay the conference more money if it added additional games. It also comes directly on the heels of the College Football Playoff committee tweaking its strength of schedule metrics, which had been a concern for the conference as it weighed a final decision.

The 3-6 scheduling model was a popular option given what it would provide for all 16 teams. The model will allow an athlete to play at every road stadium in the conference and would also help preserve secondary rivalries such as the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry between Georgia and Auburn and the Third Saturday in October between Alabama and Tennessee.

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