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The SEC is reportedly moving from an eight-game to nine-game conference schedule in the future. The news comes following the additions of Texas and Oklahoma.
Those programs are set to join the league on the football field in 2024, and it seems conference alignment will lead to major change in college football’s premiere league.
The SEC has oft been chastised by outside competition for their hesitance to move to a nine-game conference slate. The Big Ten, Big 12, and PAC 12 had all previously moved to the nine-game model as a way to more quickly rotate through conference foes and limit out of conference scheduling.
Despite being the most accomplished league in the sport, the SEC has refused to shift from its current eight-game model.
Competitors are critical, believing it gives league members an extra chance to schedule a cupcake and avoid a loss against a formidable foe.
The SEC has argued that the conference slate is tough enough, and permanent rivalries with the ACC make scheduling more difficult. It might be buckling to the outside pressure soon, though.
SEC expected to move to a nine-game schedule
In this story, Texas AD Chris Del Conte indicates that the SEC is targeting the 2026 season to begin a nine-game conference schedule – a long-expected move away from eight games. https://t.co/Wwfs5kcFdq
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 14, 2024
“We have eight games scheduled right now,” Texas AD Chris Del Conte said in a story from On3. “We’re working on going to a nine-game schedule, but we have a ways to go with that.”
He then gave a potential timeline for the adjustment.
“I would say this year we have an eight-game schedule. The following year, we have an eight-game schedule. Then we’ll look at going into a nine-game conference schedule.”
It’s been discussed in the past, with a vote most recently being taken last offseason. In that case, a 9-to-5 vote to remain at eight games was the result.
Those in favor of moving forward to nine believe it’s in the best interest of the student athlete to visit each opposing stadium at least once over a four-year career. And of course, there’s a monetary advantage to having fewer cupcake games each year.
It would also be maybe the easiest way to preserve annual in-conference rivalries between Auburn-UGA and Alabama-Tennessee, which will go away under the current model.
For those against the change, rivalries outside of the SEC are often used as reasoning.
South Carolina, for example, faced North Carolina and annual rival Clemson from the ACC last year. Florida plays FSU each year, and the same is true for Georgia-Georgia Tech and Kentucky-Louisville.
Moving to nine games would limit the ability to continue some of those traditional cross-conference matchups.
It looks like they’ll have to find a way to navigate around that issue when the SEC moves to a nine-game slate.