SEC Announces Scheduling Changes

Other Schools
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Wasn’t sure if I should put this in Pro Sports category or not, but:

SEC moving to 9 in-conference games per season (from 8).

Also mandating one OOC game be against a team from ACC/Big 10/Big 12/Notre Dame.

NEW: SEC teams are required to play one out-of-conference high quality game per season🔥

"SEC teams are required to schedule at least one additional high quality non-conference from the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten or Big 12 conferences or Notre Dame each season." https://t.co/CmWyoEmpR9 pic.twitter.com/Yoh8WKHmMr

— On3 (@On3sports) August 21, 2025
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What this means is playoff is expanding and SEC and B10 will get 7-8 auto-qualifiers.

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This has huge ramifications for G5s

ACC likely to follow

they will go from having 4 OOC to 2 open OOC (one additional conference, one required P4)

The amount of potential buy games will decrease by half

the amount received for the games will decrease

possible we don’t have a P4 next year in the schedule

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So no 2 for 1s?

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Also means the mid-bottom tier teams likely pick up another loss.

For those in contention due to preseason ranking and simply beating up one another in conference, a win vs. Kentucky instead of UMASS looks better.

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Yes, and reduced money games for G5’s. Let’s see how many FCS programs they still schedule.

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Several SBC games at risk of being bought out of ACC follows SEC

“At risk” meaning the SEC/ACC opponent has 4 games scheduled and will need to eliminate one

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In essence they are creating a P5 division without actually creating a P5 division.

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It’ll be a slow burn. The P however many have made their intentions known. Just may not be a snap of the fingers to break off.

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This is the most unsurprising move in the history of college football.

Big12 soon to follow.

It becomes very important for non-P4 teams to schedule each other OOC.

I know I am in the minority, but I think a G5 playoff, if you can get the TV/streaming contract, is the best move forward.

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Creating another Division, discussion for about the last decade. Expand the playoffs to 24 to allow more SEC and Big 12 teams in because of so-called conference strength. Eventually eliminating any G4 teams and trimming down the lower end schools in their own conferences,

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So Sun Belt now knows they have to expand to 18 teams at least if not 20. Have either 2 Divisions of 9 or 10 teams, then schedule 8/9 conference games ourselves, to make us more enticing for P4 teams wanting to schedule us for SoS.

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“So Sun Belt now knows they have to expand to 18 teams at least if not 20. Have either 2 Divisions of 9 or 10 teams, then schedule 8/9 conference games ourselves, to make us more enticing for P4 teams wanting to schedule us for SoS”

I don’t see that until that have to move forward or get out flanked. Why? The media share. Until the contract is renewed or updated, no way do they have the votes to cut the pie into smaller shares. If expansion brings in more money, then it pays for itself.