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SEC makes decision about future of SEC Championship beyond 2026, per report
By Keith Farner
Published:
The SEC will keep the football SEC Championship game in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium beyond 2026, when the current contract expires.
“We’re actively engaged in discussions with Mercedes-Benz Stadium to extend our agreement to keep the SEC Football Championship game in Atlanta,” SEC spokesman Herb Vincent told the AJC. “Atlanta’s been a tremendous home for SEC football. Mercedes-Benz provides a tremendous atmosphere and we’re excited about our future in Atlanta.”
A formal extension has not been signed, the report said, and Vincent added that one can “never say never,” but also emphasized that “our intent is to stay in Atlanta.”
The popular title game has been in Atlanta every year since 1994. However, the AJC reported that other cities such as Nashville, Tennessee, which is opening a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans in 2026, have reached out to the league about possibly hosting future games.
Since Oklahoma and Texas are set to join the league next year, Dallas is also among the cities that have reportedly expressed interest in hosting the game.
Moving a marquee event around the SEC footprint would not be a new thing for the SEC. After the league held its popular Media Days in Hoover, Alabama for years, it has since moved it to Atlanta, and next week will be in Nashville for the first time.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
