9 SEC games, starting in 2026

[ftsandersvol]

Depends on the definition of “quality” and I guess we’ll find out. Not sure who is going to define that. Should be interesting.

One of the three OOC games has to be from a power 4 conference.

 

[ftsandersvol]

Can you imagine if college football went to 16 reg season games and we had 12 reg season SEC games?

How many regular season games does the NFL play? That’s where we are headed.

 

[Flogballs]

One of the 3 OOC games must be a quality opponent. Only 2 buy games

More viewers more $

 

[vols 30]

How many regular season games does the NFL play? That’s where we are headed.

17

 

[LittleVol]

Love it.

So we don’t have to wait 8 years to play Texas or LSU.

 

[NighthawkVol]

I live in Charlotte less than 100 miles from Columbia and most SCAR fans i know consider Tennessee a rival

I didn’t say they didn’t. I agree, in fact.

Please read my post again.

 

[Vol_guy]

Yall are focused too much on the 3 permanent opponents.

I'm more concerned about the rotating 6.

Could you imagine playing Texas, Georgia, LSU and Florida all in the same season?

 

[NighthawkVol]

The clown show that is now college football marches on

How so? This is great. Had we not gone to 9 conference games, we’d lose the Third Saturday, Georgia-Auburn, and almost every great SEC rivalry that isn’t an instate matchup.

 

[NighthawkVol]

One of the three OOC games has to be from a power 4 conference.

That’s currently an SEC requirement. I wonder if it gets dropped now that they added a 9th conference game. That’s been discussed as a possibility.

 

[fossilfiction]

..... Hard enough as is.

GBO

 

[Delmar]

One of the three OOC games has to be from a power 4 conference.

Yes, that has already been pointed out. It has also been pointed out that there are numerous opportunities for less than “quality” opponents in those conferences. Wake Forest, Purdue, Rutgers, Houston etc. I suppose there will be some pressure from TV for games like Ohio State-Texas to continue.

 

[robcovol]

Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2011. In football, the Aggies have not played Kentucky in Lexington, nor has Georgia been to College Station. I don’t understand why.

 

[Tnphil]

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Bama, Vandy, and Kentucky has to be our annual opponents you would think. That means no more annual Florida or Georgia sadly

Hell no. Our 3 better be Bama, Florida, and Georgia. Those are our actual rivals. Not scrubs we beat up on every year.

 

[vols 30]

Hell no. Our 3 better be Bama, Florida, and Georgia. Those are our actual rivals. Not scrubs we beat up on every year.

Thank heaven you're not the one deciding this.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Thank heaven you're not the one deciding this.

I'll never get this loser mentality where yall are scared of competition.

 

[vegasvolfan]

Effective for 2026 season. Discuss.

Seems like there could be both negative and positive impacts. Ole Miss has that extra win last year and perhaps they get in. Tennessee has an additional loss last year and we would have been out.

 

[Bearkat_Vol]

Thread is too long and didn't read - My knee-jerk reaction is I don't want a nine-game conference schedule and I want ZERO dedicated opponents. Why have dedicated opponents? I would like more variation in SEC opponents.

 

[Vol865]

Posted before. I'll post again.

UT: Bama, UF, UK
UF: UT, LSU, UGA
AUB: Bama, UGA, Miss St
Bama: UT, LSU, AUB
LSU: Bama, UF, Ole Miss
UGA: UF, AUB, SCar
UK: Vandy, UT, SCar
SCar: UGA, UK, Arkansas
Mizzou: Arkansas, A&M, OU
Vandy: Ole Miss, UK, Miss St
Ole Miss: Vandy, Miss St, LSU
Miss St: Ole Miss, Vandy, AUB
Arkansas: Mizzou, Texas, SCar
A&M: Texas, OU, Mizzou
Texas: OU, A&M, Arkansas
OU: Texas, Mizzou, A&M

 

[vols 30]

I'll never get this loser mentality where yall are scared of competition.

Yeah, that's it.

You think the rest of the league is also goinh to play that kind of schedule?

 

[Dadof2Vols]

But one of those away games will always be Vandy so, thats really a home game for us.

But everybody’s Vandy game @ Vandy is an away game for Vandy.

 

[IUGradVol]

Predictable

 

[Scottt5]

More viewers more $

Greed, Greed, Greed …

 

[strkr]

Greed, Greed, Greed …

Also you better have quality depth as injuries can ruin a team's season. With playoff expanding to 16 teams - you will have to win two to three games and those will not be cupcake games. Championship games need to be dunzo.

 

[jbeeman85]

It should be Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Alabama if they are truly protecting traditional rivals.

Some people may say Florida and Georgia are traditional but those didn't really become rivals until the division split in 1992. Ole Miss and Auburn are both more traditional rivals than either Florida and Georgia. I think Vols have still played Ole Miss and Auburn more times than Florida or Georgia despite playing them 30+ years straight.