SEC Announces Major Football Schedule Change for 2024: No More Divisions!

The SEC has decided against moving to a nine-game conference schedule. However, the conference will no longer have divisions starting in 2024. Commissioner Greg Sankey shared that an eight-game conference schedule has been temporarily approved for the 2024 football season as Texas and Oklahoma join the league.

Further schedule options are being explored for 2025 and beyond. Sankey had previously indicated his preference for a nine-game conference schedule, consisting of three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents. These scheduling plans aimed to preserve long-standing rivalries.

Currently, the SEC plays an eight-game conference schedule, consisting of games against all six division opponents plus two cross-divisional games. The approved eight-game schedule for 2024 will consist of seven rotating opponents and one permanent opponent.

Sankey emphasized that this decision was made with considerations for “fairness and balance” and the importance of maintaining traditional rivalries. Among these rivalries, Alabama-Auburn, Georgia-Florida, and Mississippi State-Ole Miss are some notable examples.

Additional priority rivalries for the 2024 season include Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia, and Texas-Texas A&M, according to sources.