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SEC to expand conference schedule to nine games
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Southeastern Conference announced on Thursday that it will implement a nine-game football schedule, effective in 2026.
The conference says this decision will reinforce the SEC’s position as the nation’s leader in competitive excellence and fan excitement.
The decision was approved by the SEC’s Presidents and Chancellors following a recommendation by the league’s Athletics Directors.
“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “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.”
Under the new format:
- The SEC will continue with a single-standings, non-divisional structure;
- Each school will play three annual opponents, focused on maintaining many traditional rivalries;
- Each team’s remaining six games will rotate among the remaining conference schools; and
- Each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years and every opponent home and away in four years.
SEC teams are required to schedule at least one additional high-quality non-conference game from the ACC, 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 has played eight conference games each season since 1992, when the conference first expanded from 10 to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. The SEC played seven conference games per year from 1988-1991 and six games from 1974-1987. Before 1974, there was no uniform requirement for the number of conference games to be played by each school, with most schools playing six or seven league contests per year.
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