Big changes are coming to the Southeastern Conference. Starting in 2026, the SEC will be moving to a nine-game conference schedule from the current eight-game conference schedule format. The extra in-house game is switching things up in a major way for each of the 16 SEC teams moving forward.
Starting next season, teams will have three annual opponents and six rotational opponents. That means that every team in the league will see each other twice (home and away) every four years. The annual opponents will preserve existing rivalries, while the rotating opponents still give teams the chance to see historic foes on a frequent basis.
The three big factors for determining the annual opponents, according to the SEC Network, are competitive fairness, geography, and traditional rivalries.
The three annual opponents are not necessarily permanent, though. The SEC will evaluate the groupings every four years to maintain parity across the league.
More From RTI: Oklahoma Football’s John Mateer Set to Undergo Surgery, Status in Question for Tennessee Game
The SEC announced the annual opponents for all 16 teams on Tuesday evening. Here’s a look at who each team is grouped up with in the initial announcement for the yearly rivals:
Alabama: Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State
Arkansas: Missouri, Texas, LSU
Auburn: Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt
Florida: Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky
Georgia: Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
Kentucky: Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina
LSU: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Mississippi State: Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Alabama
Missouri: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma
Oklahoma: Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas
Ole Miss: Mississippi State, LSU, Oklahoma
South Carolina: Georgia, Florida, Kentucky
Tennessee: Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Texas: Texas A&M, Arkansas, OU
Texas A&M: LSU, Missouri, Texas
Vanderbilt: Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State
Pretty neat post visualizing how often new SEC permanent rivals have played each other. Full link: https://t.co/UidlgHhryd pic.twitter.com/xlxA3JWwL2
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 23, 2025
