Brian Kelly wanted to come to the SEC and play big-time SEC ball games. He did not come to the SEC to duck the top teams.

And that means finding a way to continue the annual LSU-Alabama matchup, a game that has produced some of the best college football moments of the last few decades.

The SEC’s schedule model was one of the trending topics heading into this week’s spring meetings. The league is said to be focused on 2 different models: an 8-game conference slate with 1 permanent opponent for each team and a 9-game slate with 3 permanent opponents. The second-year LSU coach prefers the latter as it would keep Alabama on the Tigers’ schedule every season.

“I love Alabama,” Kelly said, per 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello. “I love Nick (Saban). I love that kind of matchup. I mean, I was in (Tiger Stadium) for that game and I can tell you that there’s not a better atmosphere of college football than being there between 2 teams that are competing at that level. That’s why I came to the SEC, to play in those kinds of games.”

A ninth SEC game would certainly play well with ESPN, the league’s media partner, and SEC fanbases, but SI’s Ross Dellenger reported on Monday that more than half the league is in favor of an 8-game slate so long as ESPN doesn’t add additional revenue to the deal — something that Dellenger wrote was “unlikely.”

Kelly went on The Paul Finebaum Show Tuesday evening to discuss the topics of the day with the SEC Network host, and he said during that appearance he expects some resolution to the scheduling debate to happen by the end of the week.

Asked directly on Tuesday if he wants Alabama on the schedule, Kelly was succinct: “Heck yeah.”

The Tigers won 32-31 last season in Kelly’s first taste of the series. Alabama had won 10 of the previous 11 meetings, dating back to the BCS National Championship Game for the 2011 season.