After years of dialogue, the SEC announced it will move to a nine-game football schedule in 2026. For Alabama football, it implies that along with the Iron Bowl in opposition to Auburn, its Tennessee rivalry will survive, probably together with LSU.
After the information on Thursday, Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne launched a press release of help for the change.
“The implementation of a nine-game Southeastern Convention soccer schedule illustrates our league’s dedication to evolving with the altering panorama and creating much more high-profile matchups,” Byrne wrote within the publish. “It is a win for our program, student-athletes, followers and all of school soccer.”
“With the addition of a ninth SEC recreation, we’ll consider our future nonconference schedules.”
The SEC will preserve its present divisionless construction in 2026 and past. Every faculty could have three yearly opponents, and can rotate via the remainder of the league in order to play one another group house and away throughout a four-year interval.
The transfer got here after the School Soccer Playoff modified its choice metrics to reward energy of schedule. The SEC was unwilling to maneuver to 9 video games, as different energy leagues have finished, except it was assured that doing so wouldn’t harm its potential playoff entry.
“Including a ninth SEC recreation underscores our universities’ dedication to delivering probably the most aggressive soccer schedule within the nation,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey stated in a press launch asserting the change Thursday. “This format protects rivalries, will increase aggressive stability, and paired with our requirement to play a further Energy opponent, ensures SEC groups are nicely ready to compete and succeed within the School Soccer Playoff.”
The SEC transfer to 9 video games additionally requires every group within the league to schedule one Energy 4 opponent every season, or Notre Dame. The added convention video games implies that some faculties will probably lower some future non-conference video games, in order to not be taking part in 11 Energy 4 video games per season, as Alabama would at present must do.
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