Cowbell Corner

Reports: Mississippi State's three annual SEC opponents have been revealed

Based on reports, the Bulldogs' three annual SEC opponents will be the one we already know, an old friend from nearby and one surprising team.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Running Back Fluff Bothwell (#24) and Mississippi State Offensive Lineman Jacoby Jackson (#75) during the game between the Alcorn State Braves and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Running Back Fluff Bothwell (#24) and Mississippi State Offensive Lineman Jacoby Jackson (#75) during the game between the Alcorn State Braves and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

If reports are accurate, we know who Mississippi State’s three annual SEC opponents will be next season when the conference moves to a nine-game format.

According to On3’s Chris Low, the Bulldogs’ annual opponents will be Alabama, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.

Initial Reaction

Very surprised that Vanderbilt is one of three annual opponents.

Ole Miss and Alabama were not surprising at all. In fact, we already knew the Rebels and Bulldogs would continue their rivalry because the SEC had said the Egg Bowl rivalry was one of the rivalries that would continue.

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide had one of the longest rivalry streaks in the country (albeit a one-sided rivalry) before last season when the two schools did not play one another.

Because of that history and how close each school is to one another, Alabama wasn’t a surprise. It may not be an opponent the fans wanted to see, but it was always going to happen.

But seeing Vanderbilt listed as one of the three was surprising.

Vanderbilt wide receiver Kayleb Barnett (81) and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrate their touchdown against Cha
Vanderbilt wide receiver Kayleb Barnett (81) and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrate their touchdown against Charleston Southern with a double flip in the end zone during their game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bulldogs and Commodores have played just 24 times and Mississippi State leads 15-7-2.

The last meeting was in 2021 when Mississippi State won 45-6 and the Bulldogs have won the last five meetings.

Until recently, the inclusion of Vanderbilt as an annual opponent would’ve been hailed as a great blessing from the football gods.

Every Mississippi State fan would mark this as an automatic win, but that was a different type of Vanderbilt team.

This year, the Commodores are undefeated and ranked No. 18 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. They also have a swagger that’s not impacted by hostile crowd environments.

Basically, Vanderbilt isn’t a pushover. Some schools may actually look at Mississippi State as the pushover and be disappointed the Bulldogs aren’t one of their three annual opponents.

Of course, Vanderbilt won’t have Diego Pavia next season, who is largely responsible for the Vanderbilt swagger made famous by SEC Shorts’ “Vandy pimp” character.

So, maybe the Commodores fall back into their traditional role. Or maybe they’ll continue their upward trajectory.

But if the other options were schools like Texas A&M or Oklahoma, getting Vanderbilt as an annual opponent is a big win.

Below is the full list of annual opponents for each SEC team. The conference will officially announce the annual opponents in a television broadcast Tuesday on SEC Network at 6 p.m.

SEC Annual Opponents

  • Alabama – Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State
  • Arkansas – Missouri, Texas, LSU
  • Auburn – Georgia, Alabama, Vanderbilt
  • Florida – Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky
  • Georgia – Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
  • Kentucky – South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida
  • LSU – Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
  • Mississippi State – Ole Miss, Alabama, Vanderbilt
  • Missouri – Arkansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma – Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri
  • Ole Miss – Mississippi State, LSU, Oklahoma
  • South Carolina – Georgia, Kentucky, Florida
  • Tennessee – Alabama, Vanderbilt, Kentucky
  • Texas – Texas A&M, Arkansas, Oklahoma
  • Texas A&M – Texas, LSU, Missouri
  • Vanderbilt – Tennessee, Mississippi State, Auburn

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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