SEC athletic directors adopted a nine-game conference football schedule starting with the 2026-27 season, the league announced Thursday. The development comes as the CFP is set to implement new metrics in 2025 that place greater emphasis on strength of schedule,

The SEC will implement a nine-game conference schedule for college football starting with the 2026 season, the conference announced Thursday.

The SEC will play a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026, the league said Thursday, a historic move it's been considering for years. The decision was approved by the SEC's presidents and chancellors after a recommendation by the athletic directors in the conference.