The SEC 2024 schedule release: Best games, what’s missing and winners and losers

The SEC releasing its yearly schedule is always big offseason news. When the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns are joining the conference, it’s paramount.

On Wednesday night, the SEC released its schedule for the 2024 season, the first year the Sooners and Longhorns will be playing alongside Alabama, Georgia and the rest of the teams from the most dominant conference in college football.

The conference already made news by sticking with an eight-game schedule when a nine-game slate was on the table earlier this spring. The news now shifts to the gridiron where the conference’s biggest matchups are officially set.

So, who are the biggest winners and losers of the schedule release and what games should we be excited for? More importantly, what games are we going to miss as Oklahoma and Texas crash the party?

Our writers take you through the biggest questions coming out of the SEC schedule release.

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Game you’re most excited for

Georgia at South Carolina: Maybe it doesn’t qualify as a top-tier rivalry game — the Bulldogs may not even count the Gamecocks as a rival at all — but it’s a shame the two soon-to-be-former SEC East members won’t continue a series that dates back to 1992. There have been some great moments in the series. I’m thinking of 2019, in particular. And I’m bullish on what Shane Beamer and his staff are building in Columbia. It would have been fun to see the upstart try to take down the reigning champ. — Alex Scarborough

Texas vs. LSU: Honestly, I was hoping for Longhorns vs. Tigers. They brewed some bad blood after fighting over Tom Herman in 2016 (remember that?), and that’s a rivalry that has plenty of potential. But I’m just going to calmly continue to assume that eventually right minds will prevail, the league will move to a nine-game conference schedule, and everyone will play everyone every couple of years. That will create enough rivalry opportunities in itself. — Connelly

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Biggest winner

The fans: For the most part, the SEC did a great job keeping its most important games intact. Even less prestigious rivalries like Arkansas-LSU and Alabama-Tennessee will continue. Each school will play one of the two conference newcomers in Oklahoma and Texas. And there are no repeat trips from the 2023 season. The only thing that would be better for the fans is if the SEC came out on Wednesday and said they will be playing a nine-game schedule in 2025 and beyond. Because a long-term eight-game conference schedule won’t satisfy this many people. So enjoy it while you can. — Scarborough

Rivalries: Kudos to the SEC for doing everything it could to match up schools that have some type of history and not forgetting about tradition. Some of the games were obvious (Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia, Mississippi State-Ole Miss, Oklahoma-Texas, Texas-Texas A&M and Alabama-Tennessee), but it’s nice to see other matchups such as Alabama-LSU, Arkansas-Texas, Florida-Tennessee, Florida-LSU, Georgia-Tennessee and LSU-Ole Miss preserved. — Low

Arkansas: They kept LSU, they kept Ole Miss (one of the most underrated games on the college football slate), they kept Missouri (for whatever that’s worth), they kept A&M and they added Texas. That’s almost perfect for the Hogs. — Connelly

Texas A&M: The Aggies made the most noise about Texas entering the SEC, and athletic director Ross Bjork even made it clear he expected the league to schedule the first A&M-Texas game in College Station, “just because of everything that’s transpired,” he told The Athletic. Not only did Bjork get his wish, but the Aggies also get LSU at home, miss Alabama and Georgia completely and have a road slate that includes trips to Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida and South Carolina. In this lineup, that’s a very friendly schedule. — Wilson

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Biggest loser

Alabama: Good luck finding any easy schedules in 2024, but Alabama’s road slate is brutal. Not only do the Crimson Tide have to play at LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee within the conference, but they also visit Wisconsin the second week of the season in a nonconference game. The “good” news is that they get two-time defending national champion Georgia at home. — Low

Georgia: Bye-bye Vanderbilt. So long Missouri. There will be no more running roughshod over a down SEC East for Georgia. The Bulldogs will face a gauntlet as the conference goes division-less with Florida in Jacksonville, Auburn and Tennessee at home, and road trips to Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Kentucky. — Scarborough

Oklahoma: It’s hard to say either the Sooners or the Longhorns can be “losers” coming into the SEC. And while I agree with Alex, I think fans in Norman might understandably feel some type of way about only having three true home games in 2024 (Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee) because of their designation as the home team against Texas at the Cotton Bowl. The positive in this: Two of their three toughest games are going to be at home against the Crimson Tide and Volunteers, while they get a trip to Death Valley against LSU. — Lyles Jr.

Savings accounts: If you are a Texas fan, can you miss a road trip to an old rival against Arkansas? Another one to Texas A&M? You can’t miss Oklahoma. Then there are home games against Georgia and Florida. Oklahoma fans get a road trip to LSU, and home games against Alabama and/or Tennessee. It’s all great for fans, but rough on the ol’ pocketbook. — Wilson

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Every team’s 2024 SEC opponents

Away: LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

Home: Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina

Away: Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas A&M

Home: LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas

Away: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri

Home: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

Away: Georgia (Jacksonville), Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas

Home: Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M

Away: Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas

Home: Auburn, Florida (Jacksonville), Mississippi State, Tennessee

Away: Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas

Home: Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt

Away: Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M

Home: Alabama, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt

Away: Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas

Home: Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Texas A&M

Away: Alabama, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M

Home: Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt

Away: Auburn, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss

Home: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (at Dallas)

Away: Arkansas, Florida, LSU, South Carolina

Home: Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oklahoma

Away: Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt

Home: LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas A&M

Away: Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt

Home: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State

Away: Arkansas, Oklahoma (Dallas), Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

Home: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State

Away: Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina

Home: Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Texas

Away: Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri

Home: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas