What to expect from this week's full 2026 SEC football schedule reveal

We will know the full 2026 schedules for every SEC team after Thursday's announcement

By Brad Crawford

Dec 10, 2025 at 12:00 pm ET • 3 min read

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The SEC is moving to a nine-game league schedule next season for the first time in history, a move necessary in the expanded College Football Playoff era to mirror what it looks like in the Big Ten and Big 12. The conference's full schedule release is set for Thursday night, which reveals the dates for games involving every team's three new permanent rivals along with nonconference opponents and marquee matchups against fellow Power Four competition.

What does this mean for the SEC and its 16 schools moving forward? For commissioner Greg Sankey and the conference's power brass at institutional levels, the SEC's new scheduling philosophy should promote heightened opportunity in the playoff discussion annually, especially when considering the selection committee's updated metrics that emphasis schedule strength.

In addition to every school playing three permanent annual opponents, the other six games annually will be filled out on a rotational basis. In previous years due to unbalanced scheduling with the eight-game slate, there was no guarantee -- for instance -- Georgia would play against Texas A&M over a four-year stretch. Now, there's going to be opportunity to face every SEC team at least once over a two-year stretch.

One nonconference game must be played against Notre Dame or a team from three other Power Four leagues with the final two contests against programs of each school's choosing. In other words, scheduling "easy" and SEC teams hoping to coast to four wins annually outside of league play is over. The SEC set a record with five entries in this year's 12-team playoff field and is expecting more opportunities with future expansion.

The league earlier this season released its list of conference games for each school with a focus on protecting some of its most historic rivalries, including the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama and the Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Conference newcomers Oklahoma and Texas will continue to play annually in the Red River Rivalry as well.

Several schools with previous nonconference agreements with other programs have altered their plans given the SEC's updated scheduling norm. At Alabama, the Crimson Tide canceled an upcoming home-and-home series with West Virginia (2026 and 2027), while adding nonconference opponents like Chattanooga and East Carolina. Future games for Alabama like Ohio State and Notre Dame will remain, for now.

South Carolina was expected to play Miami at home early during the 2026 season in the first of a two-game series with the Hurricanes, but the two schools mutually agreed to cancel that agreement. Instead, the Gamecocks will open next season against Kent State. South Carolina, like fellow SEC schools Georgia and Florida, has an annual nonconference rivalry game already with Clemson and has no need for another Power Four opponent on the slate. Mississippi State canceled an upcoming home-and-home planned with Washington State, too.

Moving forward with a competitive nine-game conference slate, it would not benefit most SEC programs to schedule an additional nonconference matchup with a Power Four opponent if progress and staying in the playoff discussion is the goal.

There are a few schools still with scheduling dilemmas for next season with finality expected in Thursday's reveal. Georgia announced Wednesday its scheduled nonconference game at Louisville next season is canceled. Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M also have holes in the nonconference portion of their schedules that should be filled this week.

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Brad Crawford