Each SEC team will be required to play a ‘high-quality’ non-conference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame.
Some schools, like Mississippi and Auburn, will need to quickly adjust their future non-conference schedules to meet the new requirement.
Other teams, such as Florida, Georgia and Alabama, meet the requirement in the next decade.
SEC schedules are now required to get even tougher.
The league announced it will finally make the move to a nine-game conference slate starting with the 2026 season along with requiring its teams to schedule one additional ‘high quality’ non-conference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten or Big 12 or Notre Dame each season.
In short, every SEC school now will be mandated to play 10 games a season against a Power 4 team. It should up the strength of schedule of its programs, and it’s no coincidence it came after the College Football Playoff selection committee announced a day prior it would put greater emphasis on strength of schedule.
‘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.’
With the non-conference schedule requirment set to be in place for 2026, it’s time to look to see if SEC teams will already meet the standard, or if they’ll soon have to figure out who to play.
Which SEC teams have a Power 4 non-conference team scheduled?
The good news is everyone, as all 16 SEC teams are scheduled to play at least four games against a Power 4 non-conference foe within the next 10 years, according to FBSchedules.
However, some of them are going need to quickly figure out who to put on their schedule. Most notably is Mississippi, which doesn’t have a Power 4 non-conference game in 2026 through 2031. This comes as the Rebels also don’t have a Power 4 non-conference game in 2025.
Another team that will need to figure out its immediate schedule is Auburn, which doesn’t have one scheduled in 2027 and 2028. The Tigers also don’t have any non-conference Power 4 teams set to play after the 2030 season.
Other teams that have a few years to figure out their schedules in include:
Mississippi State: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2029
Texas A&M: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2029
Kentucky: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2030
Oklahoma: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2030 and in 2035-36
Tennessee: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2030
Texas: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2029 and in 2032-33
Vanderbilt: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2031
LSU: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2032
Arkansas: Power 4 non-conference team scheduled through 2033
Meanwhile, there are some SEC teams that benefit from having annual rivalries with teams in Power 4 conferences, like Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, who already meet the requirement through the 2037 season. The Gators and Bulldogs have gone to the extreme with three Power 4 non-conference games scheduled; Florida has it in 2028 and 2031 while Georgia will do it in 2027, 2030 and 2033.
Other teams that won’t have problems are Alabama and Missouri. The Crimson Tide and Tigers meet the requirement all the way through 2035.
SEC future Power 4 non-conference games
Alabama
2026: at West Virginia, Florida State
2027: West Virginia, at Ohio State
2028: Ohio State, at Oklahoma State
2029: at Notre Dame, Oklahoma State
2030: at Georgia Tech, Notre Dame
2031: Georgia Tech, at Boston College
2032: Arizona, at Minnesota
2033: at Arizona, Minnesota
2034: at Virginia Tech, Boston College
2035: Virginia Tech
Arkansas
2026: at Utah
2027: Oklahoma State
2028: at Notre Dame
2029: Utah
2030: at Texas Tech
2031: Texas Tech
2032: at Oklahoma State
2033: Oklahoma State
Auburn
2026: Baylor
2029: at Miami
2030: Miami
Florida
2026: at Florida State
2027: Florida State
2028: Colorado, at Arizona State, at Florida State
2029: at Colorado, Florida State
2030: at Central Florida, at Florida State
2031: Arizona State, at Notre Dame, Florida State
2032: Notre Dame, at Florida State
2033: Central Florida, Florida State
2034: at Florida State
2035: Florida State
2036: at Florida State
2037: Florida State
Georgia
2026: at Louisville, Georgia Tech
2027: at Florida State, Louisville, at Georgia Tech
2028: Florida State, Georgia Tech
2029: at Clemson, at Georgia Tech
2030: Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia Tech
2031: at Ohio State, at Georgia Tech
2032: Clemson, Georgia Tech
2033: at Clemson, NC State, at Georgia Tech
2034: at NC State, Georgia Tech
2035: at Georgia Tech
2036: Georgia Tech
2037: at Georgia Tech
Kentucky
2026: Louisville
2027: at Louisville
2028: Louisville
2029: at Louisville
2030: Louisville
LSU
2026: Clemson
2027: Houston (neutral)
2028: Southern Methodist
2029: at Southern Methoidst, Arizona State
2030: at Arizona State
2031: at Utah
2032: Utah
Mississippi
2032: at Virginia Tech
2033: Purdue
2034: at Purdue
2035: Virginia Tech
Mississippi State
2026: at Minnesota
2027: Minnesota
2028: Texas Tech
2029: at Texas Tech
Missouri
2026: at Kansas
2027: Illinois
2028: at Illinois
2029: Illinois
2030: Colorado
2031: at Colorado
2032: at Kansas
2033: Illinois
2034: at Illinois
2035: at Brigham Young, Illinois
Oklahoma
2026: at Michigan
2027: at Southern Methodist
2028: at Houston
2029: Nebraska
2030: at Nebraska
2035: at Clemson
2036: Clemson
South Carolina
2026: Miami, at Clemson
2027: at Miami, Clemson
2028: North Carolina, at Clemson
2029: at North Carolina, Clemson
2030: NC State, at Clemson
2031: at NC State, Clemson
2032: at Clemson
2033: Clemson
2034: Virginia Tech, at Clemson
2035: at Virginia Tech, Clemson
2036: at Clemson
2037: Clemson
2038: at Clemson
Tennessee
2026: at Georgia Tech
2027: Georgia Tech
2028: West Virginia (neutral)
2029: Washington
2030: at Washington
Texas
2026: Ohio State
2027: Michigan
2028: at Notre Dame
2029: Notre Dame
2032: at Arizona State
2033: Arizona State
Texas A&M
2026: Arizona State
2027: at Arizona State
2028: Louisville
2029: at Louisville
Vanderbilt
2026: NC State
2027: at Stanford
2028: at NC State
2029: Purdue
2030: at Stanford
2031: Stanford