The Southeastern Conference made history on Thursday, voting to expand its college football schedule to nine league games beginning the 2026 season. The decision, strongly backed by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, marks the first time since the league spilt into divisions in 1992 that the conference will move away from its eight-game format.
The change puts the SEC in step with the Big Ten and Big 12, both of which already play nine conference games. The ACC will remain the lone Power Four league sticking to an eight-game conference schedule in 2026, although the ACC's leadership previously stated it would revisit the idea of expansion if the SEC made the move.
The ninth game could be a major factor in shaping the future of the College Football Playoff. Beginning in 2026, the SEC and Big Ten hold the power to revise the playoff structure. The two leagues remain divided, with the SEC pushing more for a 5+11 model where there would be five automatic qualifiers for conference champions and 11 at-large bids. The Big Ten, on the other hand, favors a system with guaranteed spots for both itself and the SEC.
For more than three decades, SEC programs have operated under an eight-game model. With the league winning 15 of the last 19 national titles, many athletic directors and coaches argued against changing what worked. Still, Sankey has long supported the nine-game schedule, arguing that it would strengthen the conference's brand and promote fan interest throughtout the season. This shift, however, also means that programs like Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mississippi State, who already have four non-conference games scheduled in 2026, will need to reshuffle their future matchups.
The Southeastern Conference's move comes as the College Football Playoff committee is updating how it measures strength of schedule. After some controversy last year, the committee announced it will apply greater weight to quality wins and limit the benefit of beating weaker opponents.
Sankey acknowledged that the nine-game model will be tougher on coaches, staff, and the program itself, but believes it will showcase the depth of the SEC. “I think nine games would promote great interest through the year,” he said last month at media days. “It would be hard to coach, but that’s the challenge of this league.”