US EditionSEC coaches mostly on board with new scheduling that ends some long-time annual matchups
The SEC’s new nine-game schedule ends Kentucky’s annual Louisville matchup and aims to balance competition while increasing all teams’ chances for the College Football Playoff.
- Tuesday night, the Southeastern Conference released a new nine-game conference schedule for the next four seasons, detailing opponents and locations each year.
- SEC officials said the new format factors geography, preserves rivalries and boosts chances for the 12-team College Football Playoff, while coaches including LSU's Brian Kelly warned the extra game upends Kentucky's scheduling.
- The published year-by-year lists show Kentucky's 2027 opponents include home games against Florida, Alabama, LSU and Vanderbilt and away games versus South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
- As a result, the Kentucky football team can no longer play Louisville football annually, removing the Governor's Cup from their permanent schedule, and must prioritize more winnable nonconference opponents with the ninth SEC game now permanent.
- Longer term, Kentucky's success depends on playing the right schedule as Stoops has struggled against top SEC programs, going 3-33 versus Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
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Associated Press News
SEC coaches mostly on board with new scheduling that ends some long-time annual matchups
LSU coach Brian Kelly says he understands why new SEC scheduling will be unpopular with those who'd like to see the Tigers play Alabama and Florida every year — as they have for more than half a century.
SEC Coaches Mostly on Board With New Scheduling That Ends Some Long-Time Annual Matchups
The last time LSU and Alabama went an entire season without playing each other, Tigers coach Brian Kelly was a toddler and Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer wouldn't be born for another 11 years.
Paul Finebaum warns CFP committee: SEC has 'people' who will make you pay
Paul Finebaum wasn’t making threats. He was simply explaining how other people would make the College Football Playoff committee pay if they didn’t give the SEC what it wants. The SEC had just announced its future scheduling format, which will include nine conference games starting in 2026 plus a mandatory Power Four opponent in non-conference play. And instead of celebrating tougher competition, Finebaum turned it into an ultimatum. “We’re all …
SEC coaches mostly on board with new scheduling that ends some long-ti
The last time LSU and Alabama went an entire season without playing each other, Tigers coach Brian Kelly was a toddler and Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer wouldn’t be born for another 11 years. During six-plus decades, that annual matchup has had some intense, dramatic moments, such as Kelly’s gamble on a do-or-die, 2-point conversion to end overtime in 2022. Jayden Daniels connected with Mason Taylor, and rapturous fans spilled onto the field i…
Kentucky's future SEC football opponents announced
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – The schedules for the next four years off SEC conference play were announced Tuesday evening. This shows who each team will play in the upcoming years and where they will play during the 2026-2029 seasons. Here are Kentucky’s opponents by year: 2026: HOME Florida Alabama LSU Vanderbilt AWAY South Carolina Tennessee Missouri Texas A&M Oklahoma 2027: HOME South Carolina Tennessee Auburn Georgia Mississippi Stat…
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