SEC announces nine-game conference football schedule beginning in 2026

The Southeastern Conference is preparing to implement a nine-game schedule starting in the 2026 college football season, the league announced Thursday.

“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.”

This change surfaces for each SEC program following the original eight-game schedule first established in 1992. As a part of this development, each SEC program’s updated schedule will feature three annual opponents with a focus on traditional rivalries. That means each program’s remaining six league games will rotate among the remaining schools in the conference.