What the SEC's New Nine-Game Scheduling Format Means for the Georgia Bulldogs' Future

The SEC has recently revealed the three annual opponents for the Georgia Bulldogs. Here is what it means for the program moving forward.

After recently announcing that it would be adopting a nine-game conference schedule ahead of the 2026 college football season, the SEC recently unveilied the three annual opponents each team would face moving forward.

The Georgia Bulldogs drew the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers, and South Carolina Gamecocks in their schedule, three teams with which the program has an immense history. But what does the new scheduling format mean for the Bulldogs moving forward?

For starters, it means the Bulldogs' storied rivalries with the Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers will continue. Georgia has faced both Florida and Auburn annually for decades, and has completed more than 100 matchups with each program.

It also means the renewal of a newer rivalry for the Bulldogs between the South Carolina Gamecocks. Georgia and South Carolina faced each other annually from 1992 to 2023 before the removal of divisions in the SEC eliminated the annual rivalry. Now, with the Gamecocks set to face the Bulldogs annually, the conference rivalry between these two programs will likely return.

The updated conference schedule does come with casualties, though, as the Dawgs' annual meeting with both Kentucky and Tennessee is likely no more. Georgia had faced both programs annually for decades and had developed some fairly intense rivalries.

While some historic rivalries may no longer be annual affairs, the likelihood these two schools will still frequently face the Bulldogs remains extremely high, as the remaining six games within the conference schedule are expected to rotate annually to ensure every team plays each other at least once every two seasons.