The 5 SEC Teams Notre Dame Needs to Play Next

With the SEC updating its scheduling policy, the chance for more Notre Dame games against the conferences increases

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Notre Dame doesn't have the longest history against the majority of the SEC, but what history there is is rich.

For instance, the Irish never lost to a team coached by Bear Bryant, going 4-0 against Alabama during his time with the Crimson Tide.

With the SEC updating its scheduling rules on Thursday, each league team has to now play nine conference games along with one game against a Group of Four opponent, or Notre Dame, each fall.

With that in mind, here are the five SEC teams I'd most like to see Notre Dame get on the schedule. And please, for a home-and-home, not a one-off in an NFL stadium.

Notre Dame's Currently Scheduled SEC Opponents:

2025: Texas A&M, Arkansas
2026: None
2027: None
2028: Texas, Arkansas
2029: Alabama, Texas
2030: Alabama
2031: Florida
2032: Florida

With these teams already on future schedules, I did not make them part of the top-five list.

5. Missouri Tigers

You can call it the Dan Devine Bowl if you'd like but the state of Missouri, specifically the St. Louis region has become a recruiting hotbed for the Fighting Irish. Want to keep winning recruiting battles in the place that has produced the likes of Kyren Williams, Gabriel Rubio, and Jeremiyah Love? Get Mizzou on the schedule - and beat them.

Editor's note: The mother of my children also went to Mizzou so that could play into me wanting to see this one.

4. Ole Miss Rebels

It would probably never happen as Lane Kiffin seems to prefer the likes of Wake Forest when it comes to a big non-conference game, but what he's built in Oxford is no joke. It'd also perhaps get Charlie Weis, Sr. back on campus to see his son call plays (because that's what we're all worried about right now).

3. Auburn Tigers

Personally, I think Auburn has one of the most overrated histories in college football history, and it's desperate move to claim more national championships recently only speaks to that. The Deuce Knight Bowl would be the first games played between the two programs all-time, which would certainly spark a ton of interest.

2. Georgia Bulldogs

What Kirby Smart has going right now in Athens is as good as anything in college football, regardless of preseason rankings. Anytime you can play Georgia is a good thing for a program like Notre Dame. The only problem with this happening is that the Bulldogs already have Georgia Tech locked in annually, and games against powerhouses like Clemson, Florida State, and Ohio State in the coming years.

1. LSU Tigers

Did you really think it could be anyone else? As long as Brian Kelly is at LSU, Notre Dame fans will wish for this to come to fruition.