SEC Football to Go to Nine Conference Games in 2026

The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday it will start playing nine conference football games starting with the 2026 season.

The league will still be without divisions, with each team annually playing three opponents they have some traditional history with, plus six opponents, which will rotate every two years.

The rotating opponents will be played home and away in back-to-back seasons, then switch to the other six remaining opponents for another two-year cycle of home and away games.

The SEC has never had more than eight conference games, and has been playing eight each season since 1991, when Arkansas and South Carolina joined the conference to make it a 12-team league.