Enough leaks drip out to put together SEC permanent opponents list

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The SEC hasn't put out anything official, but USA Today is reporting it has obtained information related to the three permanent teams each league team will face beginning next season.

While Arkansas fans overwhelmingly voted for the Hogs to end up with Texas, LSU and Ole Miss, it appears there is one team getting invited to the party who is almost never given an invitation other than by sheer force.

Which of these options would you like to see for the @ArkRazorbacks' permanent @SEC opponents for @RazorbackFB? #WPS #Arkansas
— allHOGS (@hogsonsi) September 19, 2025

That's because it looks like Missouri will miss its chance to fully live out its old Big 12 days and, instead, be required to continue the Battle Line Not a Rivalry on an annual basis for at least a few more years.

"LSU gets Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas A&M. On paper, though, no teams drew tougher immediate rivals than the Razorbacks and Aggies, who will each take on LSU, Missouri and Texas. Just looking at the start of this season, these three opponents are a combined 11-1 with four wins against Power Four competition." Paul Myerberg, USA Today

The trophy game combination that adds Missouri to LSU and Texas A&M was by far the least desired option at roughly nine percent. Because of limitations put forth by Twitter on polls, it was the only option that included Mizzou, but it being such a low rated option speaks a lot.

The Clarion Ledger in Mississippi is reporting an expectation that Arkansas has been replaced as a rival by Oklahoma in addition to LSU and Mississippi State. If true, the Hogs are apparently giving up Ole Miss in exchange for re-establishing an old Southwestern Conference rivalry with Texas.

Initially, it looks like Oklahoma has been forced on Ole Miss, which technically it has, but not so Arkansas can be required to play Missouri. The Sooners also are playing the Tigers, so that means it's not as easy as a simple swap to make more logical sense.

Piecing together annual opponents from various reports yields the following if they align with what will become the official pairings:
Alabama — Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State
Arkansas — LSU, Missouri, Texas
Auburn — Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Florida — Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina
Kentucky — Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee
LSU — Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Mississippi State — Alabama, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt
Missouri — Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Oklahoma — Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas
Ole Miss — LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma
South Carolina — Florida, Georgia, Kentucky
Tennessee — Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Texas — Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Texas A&M — LSU, Missouri, Texas
Vanderbilt — Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee

Out of those, Arkansas, as is tradition since joining the SEC, clearly has the most difficult draw. However, that is mostly the fault of Razorbacks fans who have a strong desire to make rivals of the most prolific teams in the conference, plus a Missouri team that always seems to find a way to stack wins under Eli Drinkwitz.

South Carolina may have pulled together the best draw as of now. A flagging Florida team and a struggling Kentucky team create opportunities for wins.

Plus, both of those teams have fans pushing for a change at head coach, which means at least another year or two where they will be down while the new coaches try to get caught up in recruiting.

There has been no official notice as to when the SEC will make things official. There was initially hope there would be a schedule reveal show on Tuesday, but with this information getting out and a lack of advertising, it looks like everyone will be waiting for an anticlimatic formal press release.

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