The SEC is on the brink of a major change.
According to longtime SEC insider Paul Finebaum, change isn’t just coming—it’s basically inevitable. And it starts with something that might not sound all that dramatic on the surface: a nine-game conference schedule.
If that doesn’t seem like a big deal at first glance, think again. This adjustment isn’t just a footnote. It’s the beginning of a shift that will alter the very makeup of the SEC, affecting everything from TV deals to non-conference matchups—and even the Playoff picture.
Finebaum recently appeared on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning and shared that he believes the nine-game schedule will be decided as early as the upcoming SEC spring meetings in Destin. If that’s true, we’re looking at a 2026 implementation date, which lines up with the College Football Playoff’s expected expansion. As he put it, the decision feels “cut and dried.”
Why the Nine-Game Schedule Will Reshape Everything for the SEC
For years, the SEC has enjoyed a little bit of flexibility in scheduling—eight conference games and four non-conference matchups gave teams room to experiment, rest, and line up the occasional high-profile non-conference battle. But trimming that flexibility down to just three non-conference games? That’s where things really start to shift.
And then there’s the fallout with non-conference scheduling. Don’t be surprised if schools begin quietly backing out of scheduled series with Power Four opponents. When your calendar already includes Georgia, LSU, Alabama, or Texas A&M, there’s less incentive to keep a road trip to Oregon or a home game against Clemson. Why take the extra beating when the SEC schedule already gives you everything you need?
If you’re an athletic director, protecting your Playoff hopes becomes a numbers game. And those numbers say that going 10-2 with all SEC opponents is better than finishing 9-3 because you added a non-conference showdown that nobody asked for. That mindset may lead to the decline of the “big September matchups” we’ve grown used to.
From a fan standpoint, though? It’s kind of a mixed bag. This move would create more SEC vs. SEC drama every single week, which will be fun, but it also means we lose some of those non-conference games. We wouldn't imagine that South Carolina (Clemson), Florida (Florida State), or Georgia (Georgia Tech) would pull out of their annual rivalry games, but that's also not a 100% guarantee.
Still, questions remain. Will the league use a 3-6 scheduling model with three permanent opponents and six rotating teams? Will rivalries like Georgia-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee be protected every season? Will the SEC Championship Game change in format? Right now, all we know for sure is that conversations are heating up.