For years, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) had fewer conference games compared to other major college football conferences. The Big Ten and the former Pac-12 played nine conference games, while the SEC played eight, allowing SEC teams four non-conference matchups where some schools scheduled likely wins.
An example of this advantage is the 2025 Missouri Tigers. Their non-conference games included Central Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, securing easy victories before conference play. Missouri managed four SEC victories, yet maintained a ranked status due to their overall record despite not defeating a team with a winning record.
Curiously, Missouri appeared in 12 of 16 AP polls during the season, illustrating the influence of scheduling on perceived team performance. The decision to increase SEC conference games to nine in 2026 aimed to balance competitive fairness with other conferences.
New LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin expressed dissatisfaction with the increased conference games. Ahead of a match against Texas A&M, Kiffin voiced scheduling concerns, citing inaccurate historical scheduling quirks within the LSU-Ole Miss series.
Kiffin attributed LSU’s injuries, including to key players Whit Wheeks and Trey’Dez Green, to the SEC’s nine-game schedule, even though LSU played only two conference games so far. Kiffin also overlooked factors like travel and recovery affecting other conferences, such as USC’s extensive travel miles for games.
The SEC’s shift to nine conference games was meant to equalize scheduling advantages. However, Kiffin’s stance highlights ongoing debates within the conference regarding game scheduling and perceived disadvantages. As the season progresses, speculation continues on whether the SEC might revert to eight conference games or address other concerns Kiffin raises.