SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Tuesday that his league’s coaches and athletics directors continue to discuss the possibility of a nine-game conference schedule in future years.
Sankey was in New Orleans as part of a multi-day summit between the SEC and Big Ten regarding a number of issues surrounding the sport. He told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports that while the 9-game schedule continues to be a point of discussion, no decision has been reached on whether to expand from the current 8-game format.
However, some who were more staunchly opposed to the idea might be changing their thinking, he said.
The SEC and ACC are alone among the Power 4 conferences in continuing to play only eight conference games. The Big Ten and Big 12 play nine conference games each year (as did the Pac-12 before its dissolution at the end of the 2023 season).
Advocates of the 9-game schedule argue that it would add more meaningful regular-season games, and also give fans a chance to see more opposing teams and campuses more often. For example, Alabama will play fellow SEC power Georgia in Athens for the first time since 2015 this fall.
Those against the 9-game schedule believe the SEC slate is already difficult enough and that adding a game might result in fewer teams making the College Football Playoff or securing bowl-eligibility. It would also make attractive non-conference games — particularly those on the road — less common.
SEC and Big Ten leaders are also discussing the future format of the College Football Playoff, which expanded to 12 teams in 2024. It has been reported that there is a push to expand the field to 14 beginning in 2026, with perhaps more automatic bids for power-conference teams and the abolishment of seeding based on conference championships.
