If the SEC decides to play the upcoming college football season as scheduled, including playing all non-conference opponents, Mississippi State and Florida may soon be on the lookout for a new game to add to their respective schedules.

That’s because New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has formally asked New Mexico and New Mexico State to suspend their football programs for the fall due to rising COVID-19 cases in the state.

“I know what I am asking you to contemplate is difficult and unprecedented, but these are difficult and unprecedented times,” Grisham wrote to the schools according to Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal. “Fighting COVID-19 is a team sport. I am asking each of you to join me and take it upon yourselves to do everything you can to fight COVID-19. Together we can protect all New Mexicans, and if we are successful, we can resume contact sports and re-engage in the camaraderie and joy they bring all of us in a safe manner as soon as we can.”

It should be noted that just because the governor has made this request, that doesn’t mean the programs will decide to shut down their football programs this fall.

Why is this news relevant to SEC fans?

Mississippi State is scheduled to open the season at home on Saturday, Sept. 5 against New Mexico, while Florida is set to host New Mexico State on Saturday, Sept. 21.

These are the types of fires the SEC will be trying to put out in the coming days and weeks as it manages to coble a season together this fall. There was already a long list of issues to deal with for the league and New Mexico’s governor may have just added one to the list this week with her request.