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Kansas State vs. Iowa State (Ireland) – 12pm, ESPN
UIW at Nicholls – 1pm, ESPN2
Idaho State at UNLV – 4pm, SSSEN/MWN
Tarleton State at Portland State – 4:30pm, ESPN2
Fresno State at Kansas – 6:30pm, FOX
UC Davis vs. Mercer (Montgomery, AL) – 7pm, ESPN
Sam Houston at WKU – 7pm, CBSSN
NC Central vs. Southern (in Atl) – 7:30pm, ABC/ESPN3
Stanford at Hawaii – 7:30pm, CBS/Paramount+

SEC Adopts 9-Game Conference Schedule

In yet another move to help secure a bigger place in the College Football Playoff, the SEC has moved to a nine-game conference schedule for football.

In expanding from an eight-game slate per team, in place since 1992, the SEC will match formats used by the Big Ten and Big 12. The move arrives as the College Football Playoff also said this week that it will take strength of schedule into greater account in its rankings.

The new SEC format will see the conference continue to have a single-standings, non-divisional structure. Teams will each play three fixed annual opponents, with an eye toward preserving traditional rivalries, while the remaining six conference games per year will rotate among the other members. Each SEC school will face every other one at least once every two years, and in both home and away settings every four years.

Given the regular placement of SEC teams in national college football rankings, expanding the amount of in-conference play is the simplest, and likely most effective, way to amplify that strength-of-schedule metric. SEC teams, however, will still be required to schedule at least one game per year against a team from the ACC, Big Ten, or Big 12—unless they play independent Notre Dame.

“This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff,” conference commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement.

The new football schedule will take effect in 2026. Leaders within the SEC and the individual schools had been debating the structure for several years. With the switch, however, the SEC is in line to receive additional rights fees from ESPN, with estimates hovering around $5 million per school, per year.

Bigger Considerations

The move, however, is also happening as the SEC, like other major conferences, tries to secure maximum positions within the CFP, and potential moves there helped prompt the SEC’s internal move. While there is general consensus for increasing the current 12-team format to 16, disagreement continues over how automatic berths would be allocated.

Fellow power conference the Big Ten, meanwhile, has informally considered a CFP structure as large as 28 teams. While that idea has drawn widespread rebukes, it would also bring college football closer to the March Madness elements of college basketball.

The ACC still has its teams play eight games per year within the conference, but according to multiple reports, that conference is expected to follow suit and move to nine games as well. With 17 teams in the ACC, however, the math around enlarged in-conference play is more complex, and commissioner Jim Phillips has said some traditional rivalries between SEC and ACC schools could be at risk.

SEC has a new metric. SOP, “Strength of Practice”

It just means more…

I was surprised to have my Iowa Hawkeyes #8 out of 18. https://www.espn.com/college-football/fpi/_/group/5

Schedule has three games against pre-season ranked teams:
#2 Penn State
#7 Oregon
#20 Indiana
#22 Iowa State

#44 in AP rankings.

Class of 1984.

Hawks have a QB for a change.....

A Thanksgiving tradition brought back to life.....

Huskers/Hawks....


I love Thanksgiving week.

Has their ever been a more media driven...media over hyped football program than Colorado??

In the 3 years Deion has been the Buff coach....remember he came in when the portal stated and he turned over 3/4 of his team 1st year. Got his sons hyped. What a great Sanders story.

TV could not get enough.

Fast forward his one son is out of the league and 11 mil in debt from a judicial verdict against him for a past act of say...aggression.

Antonio Brown even in a recent post said the Sanders will be done in a couple years.

As for the job Deion is doing as a HC....13-13.

The one thing Deion is great at....self promotion and the media buy-in.

I want to party with these guys. They look fun.

OSU's football program has 35 Million allocated to it's athletes....

Texas has between 35 and 40 Mil.


Money has ruined college sports just like everything else.

Sold My Soul wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 10:06 pm OSU's football program has 35 Million allocated to it's athletes....

Texas has between 35 and 40 Mil.


Money has ruined college sports just like everything else.

Yes, it makes me sick to my stomach. I still casually watch but my fervor for college football is gone. The only redeeming quality in my mind are the service academies.

Loved the Tom Osborne teams of the mid 1990's btw. Tommy Fazier was fun to watch.

Oh what a relief it is

I agree. The transfer portal just like free agency has to have a window before preparations for the season ttanspire.

Multiple windows only acts as a detriment to preparation and only hurts the product.

Rooting for Coach Ferentz today. Win 206 at home in front of the Children Hospital