Specifically looking at football and basketball, the recent seasons for the SEC Conference have been extremely competitive. Fans have seen their team have a gauntlet of a schedule, as their hopes for a postseason birth dwindle with each loss in a challenging, in-conference matchup.
After years of debating on if it should be expanded, shortened, or kept the same, with plenty of valid points on both sides, it finally concluded earlier this week, with a decision by the commissioner and board of the SEC.
The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026 🏈🗓️@SEC commish @GregSankey discusses with @finebaum: pic.twitter.com/P1t4pkL89V
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 21, 2025
According to the new nine-conference game schedule, each program will play three opponents annually that are out of the conference, while the other six will rotate between other conference schools. Additionally, each squad will play all the other SEC Conference teams at least once every other year, and all of them both home and away within four years.
Its also important to note that the SEC Conference will remain with single-team standings, unlike other conferences such as the Big Ten, who have different divisions within the conference.
The SEC stated that out of conference opponents have to be of "high-quality" caliber, and in the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, or Big 12 conferences, or Notre Dame. The SEC will be making sure teams schedule opponents in these guidelines every season.
While it might seem odd to have a conference virtually force programs into scheduling games agaisnt teams specifically on the higher-end of the league, it makes sense to keep every team in the conference on the same level in competitiveness, not to mention it makes for more exciting games for fans, that mean more to each player.
As mentioned above, the SEC Conference prides itself in their exciting game environment, sending a plethora of teams to the postseason every year, in a multitude of sports. This schedule makes complete sense for all of the higher-ups in the SEC, staying true to their goals of providing fans with the most intense matchups.
Since 1992, the SEC Conference has played eight conference games, last expanding with the additions of South Carolina and Arkansas, which, at the time, brought the total number of programs in the conference to 12. With the number now sitting steady at 16, an expansion was more than due.
This can be seen as a blessing and a curse for Tiger football fans; even though it makes for a lot of fan matchups to watch Mizzou compete in next season and beyond, it no-doubt makes the road to Florida a lot tougher this postseason.
SEC Saturdays have always been a delight to watch. The addition of one extra conference game just adds to the level of fun from a fans perspective, as well as someone on the team. Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz and the Tigers will have to prove themselves early on this season, in order to earn a top spot in the stacked SEC Conference this season.