The SEC will play a nine-game schedule beginning in 2026, the league announced on Thursday, bringing the conference in line with the Big Ten as the two heavyweights battle for Bowl Subdivision supremacy.

The long-debated, long-awaited decision will lead to a dramatic overhaul of the annual SEC schedule, creating the possibility for deeper rivalries and, in some cases, new rivalries born out of recent expansion.

“The SEC has established itself as the leader in delivering the most compelling football schedule in college athletics,” commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “Fans will see traditional rivalries preserved, new matchups more frequently, and a level of competition unmatched across the nation."

Under the new arrangement, the SEC will retain a division-free alignment while

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