SEC Ends November Cupcake Games With 9-Game Conference Schedule

7 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 27

Greg Sankey said the SEC's move to a 9-game league schedule will eliminate the second-to-last November weekend of lower-tier nonconference matchups after the 2026 season.
Sankey said adding a ninth conference game leaves too few late-season open dates and created scheduling problems in 2026, making the old format harder to sustain.
The change also gives fans and ESPN more meaningful late-season inventory instead of de facto off-weeks built around FBS or FCS buy games.
Some schools have already reshaped future schedules around the extra league game, including South Carolina and North Carolina canceling a home-and-home series.
The SEC is aligning more closely with the Big Ten on late-season scheduling, though marquee nonconference games such as Ohio State-Texas and Alabama-Florida State remain on future slates.

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