Nick Saban has long advocated for the SEC to add one more regular-season conference game, making it nine instead of eight. Throughout Saban’s tenure, Alabama has opened the regular-season against Power 5 programs. The Crimson Tide coach recently revealed that the program is planning a way to get to 10 regular-season Power 5 games on the schedule even with the SEC sticking to eight conference games.

Saban recently spoke to ESPN’s Chris Low about a plan for Alabama to play two out-of-conference Power 5 contests every season: one home-and-home Power 5 game and one neutral-site Power 5 game.

“I’ve always said, ‘Let’s play all Power 5 games,'” Saban told Low. “I was in the NFL where we played all the games against NFL teams. But let’s play at least 10 Power 5 games. It would be better for the players, better for the fans, and I think you wouldn’t have to worry that if you lost a game that you wouldn’t have as much of a chance to still be in [the College Football Playoff]. They talk about strength of schedule now, but how do you really evaluate that?”

Saban added that he thinks it would help college football’s attendance issues.

“We have to have a good show if we want people to come,” Saban said.

Alabama has notable Power 5 opponents on future schedules including home-and-home series with Texas (2022-23), Wisconsin (2024-25), West Virginia (2026-27), Notre Dame (2028-29) and Oklahoma (2032-33). The Crimson Tide has also scheduled neutral-site meetings with USC (Arlington, Texas in 2020) and Miami (Atlanta in 2021).