SEC insider admits conference as we know it is about to change
SEC insider admits conference as we know it is about to change
The SEC is on the brink of a major change.
According to longtime SEC insider Paul Finebaum, change isn’t just coming—it’s basically inevitable. And it starts with something that might not sound all that dramatic on the surface: a nine-game conference schedule.
If that doesn’t seem like a big deal at first glance, think again. This adjustment isn’t just a footnote. It’s the beginning of a shift that will alter the very makeup of the SEC, affecting everything from TV deals to non-conference matchups—and even the Playoff picture.
Finebaum recently appeared on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning and shared that he believes the nine-game schedule will be decided as early as the upcoming SEC spring meetings in Destin. If that’s true, we’re looking at a 2026 implementation date, which lines up with the College Football Playoff’s expected expansion. As he put it, the decision feels “cut and dried.”
Why the Nine-Game Schedule Will Reshape Everything for the SEC
For years, the SEC has enjoyed a little bit of flexibility in scheduling—eight conference games and four non-conference matchups gave teams room to experiment, rest, and line up the occasional high-profile non-conference battle. But trimming that flexibility down to just three non-conference games? That’s where things really start to shift.
And then there’s the fallout with non-conference scheduling. Don’t be surprised if schools begin quietly backing out of scheduled series with Power Four opponents. When your calendar already includes Georgia, LSU, Alabama, or Texas A&M, there’s less incentive to keep a road trip to Oregon or a home game against Clemson. Why take the extra beating when the SEC schedule already gives you everything you need?
If you’re an athletic director, protecting your Playoff hopes becomes a numbers game. And those numbers say that going 10-2 with all SEC opponents is better than finishing 9-3 because you added a non-conference showdown that nobody asked for. That mindset may lead to the decline of the “big September matchups” we’ve grown used to.
From a fan standpoint, though? It’s kind of a mixed bag. This move would create more SEC vs. SEC drama every single week, which will be fun, but it also means we lose some of those non-conference games. We wouldn't imagine that South Carolina (Clemson), Florida (Florida State), or Georgia (Georgia Tech) would pull out of their annual rivalry games, but that's also not a 100% guarantee.
Still, questions remain. Will the league use a 3-6 scheduling model with three permanent opponents and six rotating teams? Will rivalries like Georgia-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee be protected every season? Will the SEC Championship Game change in format? Right now, all we know for sure is that conversations are heating up.
