SEC sets date to reveal 2026 conference schedule, permanent rivals
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
The SEC is set to reveal the 2026 conference schedule and permanent rivals on Sept. 23. Starting next season the SEC will have a 9-game schedule.
Each team will have 3 permanent rivals that will be denoted as annual opponents. These annual opponents will be reviewed every 4 years.
The SEC will reveal Tuesday *all* opponents for every team in its new 9-game schedule for football in 2026, sources tell @CBSSports. The 3 "permanent" rivals will be referred to as "annual opponents," which will be reviewed every 4 years. pic.twitter.com/yOf21Sdx4T
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) September 18, 2025
It’ll be interesting to see what the annual opponents are for each team. Certainly historic SEC rivalries will be kept intact such as Alabama vs. Auburn and Florida vs. Georgia. However, let’s see how it unfolds for newer members like Texas and Oklahoma, who beyond each other are still growing rivalries with the rest of the SEC.
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione is the 1 who inadvertently revealed the SEC scheduling news to ESPN’s Dari Nowkhah. The 2026 schedule and permanent rivals unveiling will be released on the SEC Network.
SEC programs will also be required to schedule at least 1 Power Four non-conference game.
