SEC Scheduling Changes Already Proving Big Ten's Point
Crimson Tide replaces Mountaineers with East Carolina for 2026 season following conference scheduling change
We're only a few days into the new era of SEC scheduling, and already arguably the biggest brand in the conference is proving competing conferences right.
SEC teams historically have scheduled eight conference games, with four non-conference games, often spread out throughout the season. Three games to start the year, with a fourth conveniently placed late in November, right before what's usually an intense, competitive rivalry game.
But with the expanded College Football Playoff changing the conversation around strength of schedule, the SEC was essentially forced into adding a ninth conference game, to eliminate the potential advantage among Big Ten teams. There's also a financial incentive, with television partners happy to chip in for more marquee matchups between SEC schools, replacing a game against Middle Tennessee State or Furman.
As a result, there were sure to be changes with SEC team scheduling practices. Almost immediately, the Alabama Crimson Tide showed us the path moving forward. And in the process, proved the Big Ten's point.
TAMPA - Head Football Coach Kalen DeBoer of the Alabama Crimson Tide is seen on the sideline during the first half of the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines at Raymond James Stadium on December 31, 2024. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Alabama Shows Why Nine Conference Games Matter
Alabama this week announced that it had ended its home and home series with the West Virginia Mountaineers for 2026 and 2027, and replaced WVU with East Carolina for the 2026 season.
And that's exactly the point. Alabama, with the extra game, is clearly now more concerned about taking additional losses in conference play. So even though West Virginia, as a program, is not in the best shape, with losing seasons in four of the last six seasons, that's still too much risk for the Crimson Tide to take in the new paradigm.
That's what the Big Ten or other competing conferences have been saying for years, if not decades. Playing an additional game in your conference immediately raises your likelihood of having a less impressive record. It adds a guaranteed loss for half the teams, for the SEC, that's eight more losses, just as a function of scheduling.
With that in mind, schools have frequently shied away from adding multiple Power 4 non-conference games, or in some cases, any. Alabama still has a difficult 2026 schedule that includes Florida State. But when you look at what USC did in 2024, for example, with this schedule, it looks insane in retrospect.
- LSU (Vegas)
- Notre Dame
- Utah State
- at Michigan
- Wisconsin
- at Minnesota
- Penn State
- at Maryland
- Rutgers
- at Washington
- Nebraska
- at UCLA
That's a preseason top-15 SEC team, a top-5 Notre Dame team, at the defending National Champions, at the team that lost in the championship game, a home game against a top 5-10 Penn State team, and road trips from Los Angeles to Minnesota and Maryland. Unsurprisingly for SC, it did not go well.
SEC teams are demonstrating that they have always realized the disadvantage of nine conference games, they just never had to do anything about it.
Now they do. The changes are only just starting. In 2024, every SEC team had at least two losses. Wait until the majority have 3 or 4 losses.