9 Game SEC Schedule and What It Means for Auburn Tigers

AUBURN, Ala.- In an anticipated move, the Southeastern Conference will move to a nine-game conference slate beginning in 2026, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey stated. Leaving the ACC as the only power-4 conference that only plays eight conference games.

“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football in the nation. 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,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. 

Under the new format, each SEC school will have three protected opponents. For Auburn, it will likely continue to be rivals Alabama and Georgia, with the third being unknown. 

A look into potential matchups with the third protected opponent for Auburn could be either the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers, or even the Vanderbilt Commodores. 

Auburn Tigers On SI | Facebook | X

The LSU/ Auburn rivalry, also known as the ‘Tiger Bowl’, was played every year until the SEC expanded in 2024, when the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners were added to the mixing bowl. 

Auburn has not defeated LSU since the 2021 season, when Auburn traveled to Baton Rouge and beat the ‘other’ Tigers 24-19. Since then, Auburn dropped the final two matchups in 2022 and 2023. These teams had matched up every year since the 1992 football season, when the conference was split into two divisions, and a total of 58 matchups all-time.

It would make the most sense to bring back this rivalry; however, with Auburn already facing powerhouses in Alabama and Georgia every year, the league may loo k to make the third protected opponent a little “easier.”

Enter, Vanderbilt. Historically, Vanderbilt hasn’t been the most successful in the SEC. However, the Commodores have been winning as of late, even taking down the Tide and Tigers last season. 

Notably, the all-time series record with the Tigers and Commodores is an even tie, with both teams having 22 wins against one another. With Vanderbilt slowly putting itself back on the map and a huge Auburn fan base in Nashville, this could be a new rivalry that can be competitive for years to come. 

With the Florida Gators as a third protected opponent, it could spark back old bad blood between the two programs. The all-time series record between the two football programs is 43-39-2, with Auburn currently leading.

In their last matchup in 2019, the Florida Gators were able to protect The Swamp and defeat the Tigers 24-13. Overall, a significant number of these games (33) have been decided by a touchdown or less.

While Ole Miss and Mississippi State are historic rivals as well, even if not to the same degree as Alabama, Georgia or even LSU and Florida. 

With the new nine-conference schedule being implemented in the 2026 season, the SEC is primarily looking to compete with the new ‘strength of schedule’ factor added for the College Football Playoff selection, and the Tigers will have to wait and see who their mystery third protected opponent will be.