Eli Drinkwitz Warns of ‘Unintended Consequences’ From Major SEC Change While Staying Silent on Beau Pribula

The SEC made it official Thursday: starting in 2026, the league will move to a nine-game conference slate. So, one more SEC showdown for every team, every year. Here, interestingly, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz hasn’t shied away from the topic. Back at SEC Media Days on July 17, he made it clear: in his eyes, the move comes down to 2 key factors. And the first factor is the fans. Because a ninth SEC game means more must-see matchups and fewer throwaway non-conference games. But what about the second factor?

Well, “I think from a fan standpoint, it’s awesome. I really do,” said Drinkwitz on Saturday. “I think adding those games are great for the fans.” But for him, it’s not just about fans; it’s about the players too. Simply, another SEC game means another chance to compete at the highest level. “I still believe that the two most important factors in making decisions, in my opinion, from a conference standpoint or college football, is the fans and the players, and everything else is really secondary,” added Drinkwitz. But here, Drinkwitz warned of a ripple effect from the SEC’s move.

On August 23, Missouri insider Hudson Summerall shared Eli Drinkwitz’s concerns in a tweet. “I think it’s going to be a challenge, obviously,” said Drinkwitz. “I think there’s going to be unintended consequences from increasing the schedule difficulties.” Then he pointed to the new home-and-away imbalance. “I think there’s going to be unintended consequences with having a four and five game rotation, where you only have four conference home games, and there’s going to be five conference road games, which now makes scheduling even more challenging.” And the financial piece wasn’t lost on him either.

“Because you just told us that we have to have one Power Four outside of that, which, you know, you could be looking at a six home game, six road game schedule, which would make no sense when you spend $250 million building a North End Zone project.” But Drinkwitz didn’t hold back on the timeline.

“So I think there’s a lot of challenges there that we have to figure out and get right,” he said. “And it’s not exactly like they’re giving us a lot of time to do that. We don’t even know who our three permanents are. We don’t know what the schedule looks like. And we got to do it here in the next nine months or really six months. And you got to buy all some stuff.” Although Drinkwitz admitted the SEC has “figured it out before,” but cautioned that unintended consequences still linger.

Here, he stressed the need to take things one step at a time. “I just hope we get through this season first, because there’s no guarantee of anything for next year, right?” he said. So, for now, his focus is simple: “I’ll focus on being 1–0 this year, and then we’ll figure out next year’s challenges next year.” Okay, while Missouri’s HC made his vision clear despite the SEC changes, he didn’t reveal his plan for splitting reps between QBs in the opener.

Eli Drinkwitz’s QB situation

Missouri’s QB battle is down to its final quarter. Look, spring ball set the stage, summer kept the suspense, and fall camp narrowed the race. Now, it’s all on the season opener. Beau Pribula and Sam Horn will both see the field Thursday against Central Arkansas, but how the snaps are split: by drive, by quarter, or by half, remains a mystery. And interestingly, Eli Drinkwitz isn’t tipping his hand.

“We have a plan in place and have discussed with the team and feel prepared to execute that plan,” he said. “Don’t feel the need to share that plan.” It’s a familiar approach: back in 2023, Brady Cook played most of the first half while Sam Horn got fewer chances after the break. Now, this year, with Horn and Beau Pribula locked in a dead heat, the competition pushes into the season. Both were even voted captains, proof of how tight the race remains heading into the “fourth quarter.” However, Drinkwitz made it clear the real test begins under the lights.

“The only other thing to measure was to put them in live competition,” he said. Protecting QBs in camp is normal, but his nod to the financial stakes showed just how valuable that position has become. And Thursday’s game against Central Arkansas may not be a true measuring stick, but preparation will matter as much as performance. “We’ve talked a lot throughout fall camp about establishing a process,” he added. So, this time, there’s no dragging it out; when asked if the battle could spill into Week 2 vs. Kansas, Drinkwitz was blunt: ‘No’. Now, only the season holds the answer to how Missouri’s QB snaps will shake out.