SEC Adopts Nine-Game Football Schedule Starting in 2026

The Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday it will shift to a nine-game football schedule beginning in 2026, a move designed to enhance rivalries, competitive balance, and national playoff readiness.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey emphasized the impact of the change in a statement, saying, “The SEC has established itself as the leader in delivering the most compelling football schedule in college athletics. Fans will see traditional rivalries preserved, new matchups more frequently, and a level of competition unmatched across the nation.”

Key details of the new format:

1. The SEC will remain in a single-standings, non-divisional structure.
2. Each school will play three annual opponents, preserving historic rivalries.
3. The other six games will rotate across the league.
4. Every team will face all 15 conference opponents at least once every two years, and home-and-home within four years.
5. Teams must also play at least one Power 5 non-conference opponent or Notre Dame each season.

The SEC has operated with an eight-game conference schedule since 1992. The change comes as the league prepares for its expanded College Football Playoff future and increased demand for marquee matchups.

Sankey on Finebaum: Why Now

Speaking Wednesday on The Paul Finebaum Show, Sankey traced the decision back to August 2021, when the SEC first welcomed Oklahoma and Texas. From the outset, he said, conversations focused on a single-division format that would allow fans to see all 16 teams more often.

“From the start, we talked about moving towards a single division, the opportunity to see teams go through our towns more frequently so our fans could experience all 16 teams,” Sankey said.

Sankey pointed to several factors in the league’s decision, including:

1. College Football Playoff changes, with a new “record strength” metric giving greater weight to schedule difficulty.
2. TV value and fan interest, recalling the 2020 COVID year when SEC-only games drove record viewership.
3. Non-conference requirements, with SEC teams still mandated to face at least one Power Four opponent or Notre Dame each season.

“Deadlines are a factor,we needed to make a decision about 2026,” Sankey said. “The CFP’s progress on honoring schedule strength was a tipping point … positioning ourselves well for the future is an important deciding factor for us.”

Ripple effects 

Now that the SEC has approved a nine-game conference schedule, the ACC is expected to follow suit, potentially bringing all Power Four conferences to uniform nine-game slates, according to Yahoo Sports.

Such alignment could simplify College Football Playoff evaluations, making it easier for the selection committee to compare teams across conferences. On Wednesday, the CFP introduced a new "record strength" metric for 2025, which gives extra credit for victories over quality opponents while lessening penalties for losses to strong teams. CFP executive director Rich Clark said the changes are intended to help the committee "construct a postseason bracket that recognizes the best performances and teams on the field during the regular season."

A nine-game SEC schedule would give teams more opportunities to face high-level opponents, which could help the league maximize its representation in the playoff under the new metrics. The ACC may feel pressure to match the format to remain competitive, creating ripple effects across college football that directly connect to how the CFP could be structured in the future.

Scheduling decisions like these are intertwined with proposals to expand the CFP. Under an earlier "4-4-2-2-1" model, the Big Ten and SEC would each receive four guaranteed spots, the ACC and Big 12 would get two apiece, the Group of Six would have one guaranteed representative and three at-large spots would remain. While coaches initially rejected the plan, the SEC's interest in a nine-game schedule aligns with the league's broader goal of strengthening team schedules and positioning its programs favorably under both current and forthcoming playoff metrics.