SEC to add 9th conference game to football schedule in 2026: What it means

After the College Football Playoff revealed its new plan to introduce new metrics that place a greater emphasis on strength of schedule, the SEC could make a historic move.

SEC football schedules could include a ninth conference game in the near future after the College Football Playoff made a major change. | USA Today Sports | IMAGN

SEC athletic directors have voted to adopt a nine-game conference football schedule starting in the 2026 season, the league announced.

The development comes as the College Football Playoff announced it will implement new analytical metrics starting in 2025 that place a greater emphasis on awarding teams with a better strength of schedule, and could benefit SEC schools.

Adding a ninth game to the schedule will be a major change for the SEC, which has traditionally played eight conference games every football season.

To play, or not to play, that ninth game?

The SEC has debated the idea of adding a ninth game to its schedule for more than four years, but the prospect of earning extra media revenue from its partner in ESPN and now this potential advantage when it comes to playoff selection brought new life to the debate.

Under the nine-game format, every SEC team is expected to play three permanent conference opponents and rotate through six other opponents every season.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey faced questions about whether the conference would expand its football schedule when speaking at this year’s Media Days event, defending the current model.

“It’s absolutely, fully, and 100 percent correct that we play eight conference games while others play nine conference games,” Sankey said at the time.

“It’s also correct that last season, all 16 members played at least nine games against what you would label power opponents.”

To that end, the SEC handed out a document to members of the press during spring meetings that purported to show the “gauntlet” of the conference’s football schedule.

“There’s a rigor here that is unique in the SEC. We’re not lacking for quality competition among our 16 football teams, but we’re going to continue to evaluate whether increasing the number of conference football games is appropriate for us,” Sankey said.

He added: “As I’ve said repeatedly, understanding how the CFP will evaluate strength of schedule, and even strength of record as critically important in our decision making.”

Arguments for and against a ninth game

The SEC has debated adding a ninth conference game to its football schedule for a few years, but stayed at eight amid financial and competitive concerns about playing another league game.

The SEC has played eight conference football games since the 1992 season, although the addition of a ninth game was gaining traction, especially this offseason.

Arguments for and against adding another conference game dominated the conversation across the league.

Those in favor believe another game would mean more revenue for schools and the conference and would allow schools to play more often in a league that has expanded to 16 members.

Those against another game contend that the SEC schedule is already the most difficult in college football and would be made tougher still by adding more to the plate.

There is also some concern that introducing another game would make it more difficult for some SEC teams to reach the required six victories needed to become eligible for a non-playoff bowl game.

The Big Ten is also watching

One interested party that was hoping to see the SEC add that ninth game is the Big Ten.

This offseason, a plan emerged to expand the College Football Playoff and award both the SEC and Big Ten four automatic bids each in any future postseason format.

But the SEC appeared to back off that idea after some backlash, chiefly from the ACC and Big 12, which were set to get just two bids each as part of that plan, and favor the so-called “5+11” model that awards five places to conference champions and 11 at-large bids.

The Big Ten — which, along with the SEC, has outsized voting power in designing the future playoff — is less inclined to support the 5+11 model if the SEC plays eight conference games, while its own members play nine.

The thinking from the Big Ten is that SEC teams would get what amounts to an artificial bump in their win-loss column by playing a perceived pushover team late in the season, while Big Ten schools still have to play a conference opponent.

So now, as the SEC decides to add a ninth game, not only could it improve its own playoff position, but could open the door to coax the Big Ten back to the negotiating table on how to expand the College Football Playoff in the years to come.

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