The SEC will play a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026, the league said Thursday, a historic move it’s been considering for years.
The decision was approved by the SEC’s presidents and chancellors after a recommendation by the athletic directors in the conference.
“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a news release. “This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.”
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Last month, Sankey told ESPN the conference has been discussing a nine-game league schedule since the Clinton administration.
The SEC has played eight conference games each season since 1992, when the conference first expanded from 10 to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. The lone exception was the 2020 COVID season when the SEC scheduled 10 conference games and did not play nonconference games.
The SEC played seven conference games per year from 1988 to 1991 and six games from 1974 to 1987.
Before 1974, there was no uniform requirement for the number of conference games to be played by each school, with most schools playing six or seven league contests per year.
ESPN’s David Hale and Andrea Adelson contributed to this report.
