Back in 2013, Nick Saban was practically begging the SEC to expand its conference schedule. “What about the fans?” he asked, pointing out that nobody wanted to sit through Alabama vs. some mid-G5 teams. Instead, “they’re going to quit coming to the games because they’re going to stay home and watch it on TV,” he said then. Fast forward 12 years, and the GOAT coach isn’t pacing the sidelines anymore. He’s a media man now as the SEC finally fulfilled his desire from a decade ago. 

The SEC finally did it on August 21. After years of bickering, politicking, and good old-fashioned stubbornness, the league’s presidents and chancellors voted to move to a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026. “Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. For some, it’s overdue progress. For others, it’s a gut punch wrapped in TV money. And for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama, it’s a reality check. And the plot thickens…

Nick Saban might’ve been the loudest voice pushing for nine SEC games a decade ago, but when reality set in, even the GOAT blinked. On That SEC Podcast on August 22, SEC insider Mike Bratton reminded Paul Finebaum’s audience that the former Alabama HC’s enthusiasm cooled quickly once he saw Alabama’s likely draw. “For Bama, obviously Auburn, Tennessee, LSU,” he said. “That’s apparently Nick Saban was too afraid to keep that schedule, but he’s gone. So, we’ll give it to DeBoer.” And there’s a spicier take that follows. 

Paul Finebaum, sensing the heat, prodded Mike Bratton further. “Michael, you called Nick Saban afraid?” The room paused for effect, but the SEC Mike doubled down. He reminded everyone that Saban once even flirted with the idea of ten SEC games, only to recoil when the league’s traditional powers rose back to prominence. “He’s even said, Hey, let’s play 10 conference games. And then he found out, oh, wait, Tennessee’s been revived,” he said. “Auburn’s a solid program. And then LSU, he said, never mind. I don’t want to do that. So he retired and left that to DeBoer.”

Suddenly, the nine-game crusade didn’t sound so noble. That’s the kind of reality check Alabama fans didn’t want to hear, especially with Kalen DeBoer now tasked with walking the tightrope Nick Saban never fully had to. So what does this mean for Alabama under their second-year HC? No training wheels, that’s for sure. “Alabama is not going to get any favors, I think, in this new look SEC,” Mike added. The Tide’s three permanent opponents are shaping up to be an SEC’s version of a weekly stress test.

Kalen DeBoer knows it, too. Speaking about the Iron Bowl, he called it “a big game for a lot of reasons,” but that sentiment now applies to all three potential permanent opponents. Every fall, he’ll be staring down the state’s biggest bragging rights and a reborn Vols program. And as if Auburn and Tennessee weren’t enough to keep Bama busy, the SEC’s third pick for Alabama’s yearly slate brought an even bigger headache. 

Can Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama survive the nine-game SEC schedule?

Alabama also got Brian Kelly’s LSU in the mix, the SEC’s heavyweight clash. The ‘Game of the Century’ label has followed this matchup for years, and networks won’t let it go. That’s why Nick Saban grumbled in 2023 when the league handed the Tide Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU as fixed opponents. “I’ve always been an advocate for playing more [conference] games,” he told SI. “But if you play more games, I think you have to get the three fixed right. They’re giving us Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU. I don’t know how they come to that [decision].” It felt like a gauntlet by design. 

Maybe Mississippi State or Ole Miss could be easier substitutes. Alabama has history with both, but neither packs the TV draw or national pull. In today’s SEC, if it doesn’t sell, it doesn’t stick, and LSU vs. Alabama is a ratings monster. The nine-game move also means Alabama will cycle through the entire SEC in just two years, with every team visiting Tuscaloosa within four. That’s fresh for fans who’ve wanted more variety. Suddenly, trips to Norman and Austin are no more once-in-a-decade events. 

That’s exciting, but it adds another layer of pressure on Kalen DeBoer. He inherited Nick Saban’s dynasty, all with a tougher, deeper, and more unforgiving SEC than the one his predecessor ever ruled. Alabama opens 2025 against Florida State.