It’s December 11th, so of course, the Southeastern Conference unveiled the 2026 schedule. This seems like content that would be ripe for February or March. Please give us a three-hour preview on the SEC Network. They could bring in the coaches, with Jimmy Sexton’s approval, of course. Bring in some of the top players and really make this event. Instead, we received filler on Thursday night in December. Sorry for the salt, but we felt it was warranted. Before we take a closer look at Georgia’s 2026 Schedule, let’s look at how the SEC Conferences’ schedules are evolving in 2026.
- New faces: Six teams in the SEC will have a new head coach in 2026. Everyone knows about that guy in “The Boot.” Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, and Ole Miss will have new head coaches.
- 9 is in the new 8: The SEC has joined the party and will now play nine conference games. That should lead to better ratings (and more money?) for the Mouse.
- P4+ Requirement: In addition to the nine conference games, each SEC team is required to play at least one P4 opponent or Notre Dame.
- No Pods or Divisions: Tiebreakers have become the norm for determining who plays for a conference championship. The SEC will continue to use that system rather than try to balance the schedules among the conference’s 16 teams.
- 12 or 16?: Nine games mean more losses. How will this impact the narrative as the College Football Playoff committee picks the 12 or 16 best teams for the 2026 Playoff?
Grading Georgia’s 2026 Schedule
SEC Conference Play: Between the Hedges
The 2025 SEC slate for Georgia was elite, featuring Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss. The 2026 slate loses some of that luster. Here are a few questions to help us provide our instant reaction.
- Oklahoma at Georgia, Sept. 26: Boomer Sooner comes Between the Hedges to open SEC play. We all know the defense will be good, but can BV find a way to make the other side of the ball less effective?
- Vanderbilt at Georgia, Oct. 3: Welcome to the Hedges, Jared Curtis. The #1 QB commit in the Class of 2026 was a late flip from Georgia to Vandy. Let’s see if Smart and the Dawgs give the young signal caller second thoughts.
- Auburn at Georgia, Oct. 17: The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry in the middle of October is great to see. The Tigers have yet another new coach. Will Alex Goelsh be able to put up a fight and turn the tide on the Dawgs?
- Missouri at Georgia, Nov. 14: Eli Drinkwitz is back (unless Michigan changes its mind). Mizzou is a pain and a team to no longer be overlooked.
Grade: B
SEC Conference Play: On the Road
- Georgia at Arkansas, Sept. 19: In 2021, Georgia opened on the road in Fayetteville and the legend of Stetson Bennett was born. That’s the best we have for the hapless Hogs.
- Georgia at Alabama, Oct. 10: Georgia exercised its Crimson deamons last week in the SEC Championship. Can they make it two straight in T-Town?
- Georgia at Ole Miss, Nov. 7: What will The Sip look like without the Lane Train? Pete Goulding is saying all of the right things; let’s see if his team can match the edge of its new head coach.
- Georgia at South Carolina, No. 21: Welcome back, little brother. South Carolina has been off Georgia’s schedule the last two years. They will have yet another new offensive coordinator. The question is whether the Gamecocks get off to another poor start, and if former Dawg coach Shane Beamer will be around to coach this one.
Grade: A
Cocktail Party
- Georgia vs. Florida, Oct. 31
The Cocktail Party heads to Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Georgia’s second home) in Atlanta in 2026. The game is moving from its traditional Jacksonville home due to stadium renovations at EverBank Stadium. While this could have been an excellent time for the game to return to campus, it didn’t happen. The teams will play in Tampa in 2027. Florida will look different in 2026. Jon Sumrall will take his turn at the reign for the Gators. He made a splash hire in hiring former Georgia analyst Buster Faulkner as his new offensive coordinator.
Grade: B
Non-Conference
- Tennessee State at Georgia, Sept. 5
- Western Kentucky at Georgia, Sept. 12
- Georgia Tech at Georgia, Nov. 28
Is this the cost of nine conference games? This is brutal. Soft. And should leave all of us wanting more. While we are glad to see Clean Old Fashion Hate return to an ON-CAMPUS game, Tennessee and Western Kentucky are just blah. Georgia and Louisville announced earlier this week that they were cancelling their home-and-home series in 2026 and 2027. They also said they may consider playing this one at a neutral site. That’s a hard pass as well. With Dawg fans already having one consistent neutral site game on the schedule, the Cocktail Party, and last year’s game against the North Avenue Technical College, we are gonna have to pass on that. Please give us another P4, hell, we’ll even play Notre Dame.
Grade: C –
Main Photo: Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
