{"id":85492,"date":"2026-02-15T09:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=85492"},"modified":"2026-02-14T13:23:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T18:23:34","slug":"b1g-folly-the-cost-of-a-nine-game-sec-conference-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2026\/02\/15\/b1g-folly-the-cost-of-a-nine-game-sec-conference-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"B1G Folly. The Cost of a Nine-Game SEC Conference Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"
The SEC is expanding. No, we are not going through another round of conference realignment; instead, the league is moving from an eight-game to a nine-game conference schedule. On the surface, the move made sense. In the press release, the SEC reiterated three points on why the move to nine just means more.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and, paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.” Let’s dig into the reasons, just a bit. <\/span><\/div>\n

B1G Folly. The Cost of a Nine-Game SEC Conference Schedule<\/span><\/h2>\n

Protect The Rivalries <\/span><\/h3>\n
We all want to see and have come to expect <\/span>Georgia-Florida<\/a><\/span> and <\/span>Alabama-LSU<\/a><\/span> on an annual basis. But if the league stayed at eight games, “protecting” these rivalries and balancing schedules would be difficult. A move to nine not only allows for more protected rivalries, but also ensures we don’t have big gaps between teams playing each other.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The scheduling disparity is a frequent point of frustration for fans and was a major catalyst for the SEC’s move to a nine-game schedule. For example, Georgia and Texas A&M have played only one conference game against each other, and that was in Athens. The Dawgs have never been to College Station. Whereas Georgia and Texas have played 3 conference games (two regular-season games and one in the SEC Championship) in the last two seasons. Texas has been in the league for only two years. The Aggies have only been in the league for 14 years…<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The new conference schedule model ensures that every SEC team faces three permanent rivals and six rotating opponents each year. This rotation ensures that every school will play every other conference member at least once every two years. Yay, more Dawgs barking at the dancing Yell Leaders.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
These arguments make sense, but the move to nine games was also motivated by changes in the College Football Playoff. And that is where the argument starts to fall apart a bit.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p><\/div>\n

Strength of Schedule?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Greg Sankey argued that moving to a nine-game conference schedule would keep the SEC in a position of strength, especially when it comes to everyone’s favorite topic: the CFB Playoff selection committee. “The announcement of the strength of schedule adjustment, I think a healthier metric being used to inform decision making, that’s an element that weighed in favor of the nine-game conference schedule being implemented,” Sankey said. “The ability to take the step to say that it is more than just ‘don’t lose,’ it’s about playing high-quality opponents, that being honored, that\u2019s some of the work that needs to progress.” Let’s break this down for a moment.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In 2025, five SEC teams earned spots in the College Football Playoff. While we can and have debated the merits of Alabama and Oklahoma making it in, the SEC had more than any other conference. They also had Vanderbilt and Texas waiting in the wings if further chaos broke out in the B1G or ACC.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The SEC has routinely beaten its chest about being the deepest and strongest conference in college football. We can look at data (NFL Draft Picks, recruiting, and portal rankings) to confirm this narrative. The SEC also helped settle the debate on the field (in the regular season). Here are the records of the P4 in non-conference games this year.<\/span><\/div>\n