Toby Rowland: Why OU’s permanent SEC opponents should be Texas, LSU & Arkansas

With the news on Thursday that the SEC is officially moving to nine conference games in 2026, a debate begins. Popular speculation is that the SEC will adopt a 3+6 format, meaning each school would play three permanent opponents every season while rotating the other six opponents every other year. That format would allow for the protection and development of annual rivalries, and also allow a school to play every other school in the conference home and away every four years.

SEC Adopts Nine-Game Football Schedule Starting in 2026

I believe Oklahoma’s three-yearly locked-in opponents should be Texas, LSU, and Arkansas. Here’s why…

Showdown Showcase

Let’s get Texas out of the way. That one is obvious. The Red River Showdown is the best rivalry in America. It’s a college football cornerstone. OU-Texas will forever be played the second Saturday in October. Done deal.

LSU: A Marquee Rivalry in the Making

I have quickly grown to like the idea of an OU–LSU matchup to close out the season on Thanksgiving weekend. The Sooners traveled to Baton Rouge in 2024, and the Bayou Bengals will return the favor to close out the 2025 campaign. It’s a marquee matchup that will no doubt have a significant impact on the SEC race and College Football Playoff hunt most seasons.

Oklahoma and LSU have a limited but fascinating history. They have only played four times. Before last season, they met in the 1950 Sugar Bowl (35–0 OU victory, capping off an undefeated 1949 season), the 2004 BCS National Championship Game (21–14 LSU win in New Orleans), and the 2019 Peach Bowl (63–28 LSU win in the CFP Semifinal).

I don’t think it would take long for these two college football powerhouses to develop a heated rivalry that would be a national focal point at the end of the regular season.

Arkansas: A Rivalry the Fans Deserve

I also think it is a great idea for Oklahoma and Arkansas to be permanent yearly foes. While the move to the SEC will no doubt be a great one for the Sooners, it creates tough travel for Sooner fans. In the Big 12, it was easy to get everywhere by car in a handful of hours, with the exception of West Virginia and Iowa State. That’s not the case in the SEC. Following the Crimson and Cream on the road is a costly endeavor.

Arkansas is right next door. It is the closest SEC opponent by a significant distance. It’s only a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Norman to Fayetteville, and OU fans in Tulsa would absolutely love it. Shockingly, the Sooners and Razorbacks don’t have much of a history in football despite the close proximity. They’ve only played 15 times total and haven’t played on either campus since 1926. In fact, 12 of the 15 all-time matchups were pre–Great Depression.

There isn’t a rivalry with the Hogs yet, but it won’t take long. And the biggest reason I think this should be a permanent fixture, the fans deserve it. It’s hard for OU fans to follow their beloved team on the road in this new league. Give them an easy drive every other year.

Why Not Missouri?

What about Missouri, you may ask? Playing the Tigers every year doesn’t appeal to me. The history is lopsided and lackluster, and the recent bubbling back-and-forth between the fan bases is a silly spat mostly over recruiting that only serves to raise Mizzou’s profile. It does nothing for Oklahoma.

If Commissioner Sankey calls me (which I’m sure he won’t), my suggestions are Texas, LSU, and Arkansas for the Sooners’ three permanent SEC opponents.