9 SEC games, starting in 2026

SCAR also considers Tennessee a rival and the SEC has to find 3 teams for them to play. So losing UK as an annual opponent seems likely
Scar has Florida and Georgia. They’re not near the rival Kentucky is…from either side.

Everyone will get their #1 conference rival.

Tennessee’s #1 is Alabama.
Kentucky’s #1 is Tennessee.
Vanderbilt’s #1 is Tennessee.
Florida’s #1 is Georgia
Georgia’s #1 is Florida
Auburn’s #1 is Alabama
Alabama’s #1 is Auburn
Texas’ #1 is Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s #1 is Texas
aTm’s #1 is Texas
South Carolina’s #1 is Georgia
LSU’s #1 is Ole Miss
Ole Miss’ #1 is Miss State
Miss State’s #1 is Ole Miss
Arkansas’ #1 is probably LSU (although pre-SEC it was Texas)
Missouri’s #1 is probably Arkansas, but they really don’t have a big rival because they don’t belong.

Those games will be preserved. Then they’ll fill in each team’s other permanents from there.
 
My suggestions (yes, some aren't perfect, but it's not gonna be):

Alabama - Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi St
Arkansas - Missouri, Texas A&M, LSU
Auburn - Alabama, Georgia, Florida
Florida - Georgia, South Carolina, Auburn
Georgia - Florida, Auburn, South Carolina
Kentucky - South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee
LSU - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Arkansas
Mississippi St - Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama
Missouri - Arkansas, Mississippi St, Texas
Oklahoma - LSU, Texas, Texas A&M
Ole Miss - Mississippi St, LSU, Vanderbilt
South Carolina - Kentucky, Florida, Georgia
Tennessee - Vanderbilt, Alabama, Kentucky
Texas - Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Missouri
Texas A&M - Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma
Vanderbilt - Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss
Heh, I think it's totally awesome that a Bama fan gives Auburn these three: Bama, Georgia, Florida. Well done, pachyderm :)

In that spirit, may I suggest:

Alabama - Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU -- and Ohio State OOC every year
Florida - Georgia, LSU, and Texas -- and continue with FSU as OOC foe
Georgia - Florida, Auburn, and Texas -- and Miami as their new OOC
LSU - Bama, Florida, and Arkansas -- and Michigan OOC annually, call it the Les Miles annual grass chompin'
Texas - Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma -- with A&M as their "OOC game" (special dispensation from the SEC to play a conference game as a non-conference)

and the Vols? - Bama, Vandy, Kentucky -- and we'll continue to rotate our OOC P4 opponent as we have: Syracuse, Washington, NC State, Virginia, Pitt, etc.


For the rest, just fill in with whatever seems to work. They're unimportant lol.

Go Vols!
 
Scar has Florida and Georgia. They’re not near the rival Kentucky is…from either side.

Everyone will get their #1 conference rival.

Tennessee’s #1 is Alabama.
Kentucky’s #1 is Tennessee.
Vanderbilt’s #1 is Tennessee.
Florida’s #1 is Georgia
Georgia’s #1 is Florida
Auburn’s #1 is Alabama
Alabama’s #1 is Auburn
Texas’ #1 is Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s #1 is Texas
aTm’s #1 is Texas
South Carolina’s #1 is Georgia
LSU’s #1 is Ole Miss
Ole Miss’ #1 is Miss State
Miss State’s #1 is Ole Miss
Arkansas’ #1 is probably LSU (although pre-SEC it was Texas)
Missouri’s #1 is probably Arkansas, but they really don’t have a big rival because they don’t belong.

Those games will be preserved. Then they’ll fill in each team’s other permanents from there.
I live in Charlotte less than 100 miles from Columbia and most SCAR fans i know consider Tennessee a rival
 
They'll likely be exchanging a Group of 5 / Mid-major opponent with an SEC game. I didn't see anything today saying the SEC was banning scheduling games against FCS teams...so they'll all likely still do such.
I can barely tell a difference between group of 5 FBS teams and FCS teams...same thing in my opinion.
 
My suggestions (yes, some aren't perfect, but it's not gonna be):

Alabama - Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi St
Arkansas - Missouri, Texas A&M, LSU
Auburn - Alabama, Georgia, Florida
Florida - Georgia, South Carolina, Auburn
Georgia - Florida, Auburn, South Carolina
Kentucky - South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Tennessee
LSU - Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Arkansas
Mississippi St - Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama
Missouri - Arkansas, Mississippi St, Texas
Oklahoma - LSU, Texas, Texas A&M
Ole Miss - Mississippi St, LSU, Vanderbilt
South Carolina - Kentucky, Florida, Georgia
Tennessee - Vanderbilt, Alabama, Kentucky
Texas - Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Missouri
Texas A&M - Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma
Vanderbilt - Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss

This suggests pod scheduling

 
Pod scheduling is the easiest way to do this.
Tennessee,Alabama, Vanderbilt,Auburn
Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina
LSU, Texas A+M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas
 
Heh, I think it's totally awesome that a Bama fan gives Auburn these three: Bama, Georgia, Florida. Well done, pachyderm :)

In that spirit, may I suggest:

Alabama - Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU -- and Ohio State OOC every year
Florida - Georgia, LSU, and Texas -- and continue with FSU as OOC foe
Georgia - Florida, Auburn, and Texas -- and Miami as their new OOC
LSU - Bama, Florida, and Arkansas -- and Michigan OOC annually, call it the Les Miles annual grass chompin'
Texas - Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma -- with A&M as their "OOC game" (special dispensation from the SEC to play a conference game as a non-conference)

and the Vols? - Bama, Vandy, Kentucky -- and we'll continue to rotate our OOC P4 opponent as we have: Syracuse, Washington, NC State, Virginia, Pitt, etc.


For the rest, just fill in with whatever seems to work. They're unimportant lol.

Go Vols!

Historically, Florida was Auburn's biggest rivals were Bama, UGA, and UF. Before expansion mucked everything up, Auburn was easily UF's biggest rival after UGA and FSU.

And really, if you're rotating the other six every other year, who cares how tough your permanents are? You're going to level off.
 
Pod scheduling is the easiest way to do this.
Tennessee,Alabama, Vanderbilt,Auburn
Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina
LSU, Texas A+M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas

None of the major conferences are gonna do pods. I could see a Pac 12 or CUSA do it if they get big enough because their geographies are nuts.
 
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I'm all for it but I want our three annual rivals to be Bama Florida and CanTurkey. I simply don't care about little sister Vandy. I get no joy beating them and untold misery losing to them. Let's ditch the nerds
 
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I know most seemed difficult getting the six rotated every two years
It’s pretty straight forward. Just an example:
2026
LSU-H
Scar-H
Aub-H
Texas-A
Ole Miss-A
Mizzou-A

2027
Ms St-H
Fla-H
UGA-H
A&M-A
Ark-A
OU-A

Then in 2028, you’d play the same opponents as you did in ‘26, but just flip the home/away. Same in 2029 with the 2027 opponents.
 
I’m happy about this. I was so tired of having to watch two or three 70-7 games per year. That may not change, but at least it will be a sec game.
Sorry to say but if you want less 70-7 games….. this isn’t the way to achieve that lol. This is gonna lead to less interesting noncon games, and more blowouts against crappy G5 and FCS teams.
 

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