The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has announced the annual assignments for its upcoming nine-game conference schedule, a change effective from next season. The conference has arranged each team’s annual opponents for the next four years, a move that preserves some historic rivalries while leaving others to be played less frequently.
In these assignments, each SEC team will continue to face three designated annual rivals, while the remaining six teams they play will rotate yearly. This new structure ensures the continuation of iconic matchups like the Iron Bowl and Egg Bowl. However, notable rivalries such as Alabama-LSU will not feature annually, a decision that sees them play instead on an alternating basis over the four-year schedule block.
The SEC will evaluate the effectiveness of these annual assignments at the end of this period and possibly make adjustments. A key focus in creating these matchups was not only to maintain traditional rivalries but also to consider geographic and competitive fairness.
Here’s a snapshot of the matchups for each SEC team:
– Alabama will play Auburn, Mississippi State, and Tennessee.
– Arkansas’ annual contests are against LSU, Missouri, and Texas.
– Auburn faces Alabama, Georgia, and Vanderbilt.
– Florida lines up against Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
– Georgia plays Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina.
– Kentucky is set against Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
– LSU will meet Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.
– Mississippi is paired with LSU, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma.
– Mississippi State faces Alabama, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt.
– Missouri’s lineup includes Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M.
– Oklahoma will meet Ole Miss, Missouri, and Texas.
– South Carolina faces Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky.
– Tennessee squares off with Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.
– Texas is matched against Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M.
– Texas A&M’s rivals are LSU, Missouri, and Texas.
– Vanderbilt rounds out with Auburn, Mississippi State, and Tennessee.
These rivalries will constitute one-third of each team’s schedule. To ensure diverse competition, every SEC school will encounter its non-rival opponents twice within the four-year span.
Additionally, the SEC will require each school to schedule at least one non-conference game against a team from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame, ensuring a minimum of ten games against top-level competition each season.
The SEC’s move to a nine-game schedule aligns with both the Big Ten and Big 12, despite distinguishing itself by mandating non-conference power matchups. This restructuring is part of an ongoing effort to enhance the competitive landscape of college football while honoring historic rivalries and fostering new ones.