The SEC has played eight conference games each season since 1992 when the conference expanded to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Conference still plays eight league games. The Big 12 and the Big Ten already play nine. Under the SEC's new format:

The move ends a yearslong debate and potentially eases a path toward another expansion of the College Football Playoff.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as SEC Will Play Nine Conference Games for First Time in 2026. Fans of Southeastern Conference football will get to see more of it beginning in the 2026 season.