SEC athletic administrators adopted a nine-game convention soccer schedule beginning with the 2026-27 season, the league introduced Thursday. The transfer is designed to stability competitors and higher place SEC groups beneath new Faculty Soccer Playoff metrics that additional emphasize energy of schedule.
“Among the work by the CFP (committee) thus far this 12 months is progress,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey stated on The Paul Finebaum Present. “It isn’t a vacation spot, however the honoring of schedule energy that is been communicated is actually essential for the Southeastern Convention. Being leaders in faculty soccer, persevering with to play video games towards non-conference opponents at a excessive degree, along with the 9 video games, I feel that is a illustration of fulfilling that management accountability. That is not one thing that is executed each place.”
The transfer additionally aligns the SEC with different Energy 4 conferences that already play nine-game convention schedules, giving SEC groups further alternatives to face high-quality opponents beneath the brand new CFP metrics. The ACC is the one energy convention left with an eight-game league slate.
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Coaches involved
Underneath the brand new format, every SEC group will play three everlasting convention opponents and rotate by means of six others every season. Groups will face each different SEC program not less than as soon as each two years, and each opponent at dwelling and away each 4 years. Moreover, every group is required to schedule not less than one Energy 4 non-conference opponent — or Notre Dame — every season.
The added video games improve the bodily calls for on groups, some extent prone to concern coaches.
“Not everybody agrees,” Sankey acknowledged. “I am sure that our coaches are involved concerning the aggressive facet. We have to proceed to enhance the choice course of for the postseason.”
The rotation and everlasting opponent construction is designed not solely to enhance general schedule stability but additionally to protect historic rivalries. Sankey famous that taking part in extra video games helps degree aggressive disparities throughout the league and offers followers extra alternatives to see each group in individual.
“We’re uniquely positioned to honor these historic rivalries,” Sankey stated. “So these turn into annual opponents on a schedule, not everybody has three, however that is the idea.”
Positioning for the Faculty Soccer Playoff
The SEC’s transfer comes because the CFP introduces its enhanced “file energy” metric in 2025, emphasizing victories over high quality opponents whereas decreasing penalties for losses to sturdy groups. Sankey famous that the league thought of the affect of those metrics when adopting the brand new schedule.
“The total readability on how energy of schedule will probably be honored within the choice course of could be essential to us,” Sankey stated. “We’re at an eight-game schedule this 12 months; we’ll have a second alternative to see how choice selections are made. You already know, the opening few weeks of the faculty soccer season and non-conference video games are essential. That may’t be understated.”
By increasing convention play and sustaining a deal with high quality nonconference video games, the SEC offers its groups further possibilities to compete towards top-tier opponents.
“What I feel we now have to acknowledge is the CFP course of has stated, ‘Do not lose,'” Sankey stated. “I do not suppose that is wholesome for faculty soccer. And the flexibility to take this step to say it is extra than simply, ‘do not lose’. It is about taking part in prime quality opponents, that being honored, sure, you need to win video games. That is among the work that should progress.”
SEC’s stance on playoff growth
The SEC has made clear that its most well-liked path for CFP growth is a 16-team format, which might function 5 automated qualifiers and 11 at-large bids. When requested concerning the Large Ten’s extra radical proposals, together with 24- or 28-team playoff fashions, Sankey emphasised the SEC has not taken a place.
When discussing bigger growth proposals, Sankey famous the SEC continues to be evaluating potential impacts. He highlighted issues round participant well being and security, the overall variety of video games groups would play, the logistics of stadium capacities, tv issues and the general economics of convention and championship video games — an occasion Sankey stated he stays “bullish” on. Given these complexities, the league has not but taken a proper place on codecs past its most well-liked 16-team mannequin.
“That is why our view is, we return to what we stated [at SEC Spring Meetings], that 16 is an applicable mannequin for growth,” Sankey stated. “If there are different concepts, there’s quite a lot of due diligence that must be executed earlier than we transfer in that route.”
