BIRMINGHAM, AL (SEC) — The Southeastern Conference announced that it will implement a nine-game football schedule beginning in 2026, on Thursday afternoon.
"There’s never been any mystery about where we stand on the SEC football schedule: we’ve consistently felt that the current format was the right fit for Kentucky," UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart tells BBN Tonight. "But as the conference moves forward together with a nine-game slate, we’ll embrace the challenge head-on. We’re confident in the opportunities ahead for Kentucky Football and excited for the chances we have to play in the nation’s most competitive conference as well as maintaining our historical rivalries."
I reached out to UK for an official statement from Mitch Barnhart on the SEC moving to a 9-game schedule.
— Maggie Davis (@MaggieDavisTV) August 21, 2025
In it, he mentions embracing the challenge head on, “while maintaining our historical rivalries”
Here it is in its entirety #BBN pic.twitter.com/DjvVxUl1bq
Under the new format:
- The SEC will continue with a single-standings, non-divisional structure
- Each school will play three annual opponents, focused on maintaining many traditional rivalries
- Each team’s remaining six games will rotate among the remaining conference schools
- Each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years, and every opponent, home and away in four years
SEC teams are required to schedule at least one additional high-quality non-conference game from the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, or Big 12 conferences or Notre Dame each season.
“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “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.”
The SEC has played eight conference games each season since 1992, when the conference first expanded from 10 to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina.
The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026 🏈🗓️@SEC commish @GregSankey discusses with @finebaum: pic.twitter.com/P1t4pkL89V
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 21, 2025
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