LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW)- The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday that it will shift to a nine-game conference schedule beginning next football season, marking a significant change in the league’s format.
Despite the expansion, SEC programs will still be required to schedule at least one non-conference game against an opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, or Big 12. For schools like Kentucky, long-standing rivalries, such as the annual matchup with Louisville, will continue to fulfill that requirement.
Under the new format, the SEC will maintain its no-division structure. Each team will play three permanent opponents every season, preserving key rivalries and traditional matchups. The remaining six conference games will rotate among the rest of the league’s teams.
This scheduling model ensures that every SEC team will face all other conference opponents at least once every two years, and play each team both home and away over a four-year span.
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