Sam Pittman’s Arkansas Among 3 SEC Teams Facing Harsh 9-Game Schedule Consequence

“The SEC has established itself as the leader in delivering the most compelling football schedule in college athletics,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. Fans have long been aware of the looming possibility that the College Football Playoff could undergo a change from a 12-team to a 16-team structure. But hardly had Sam Pittman and three other SEC head coaches prepared for this surprising SEC announcement.  

It’s official, folks! SEC has come to a decision to move to a nine-game football schedule beginning in 2026, ending the long-standing eight-game format. On August 21, CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello confirmed the big change. He wrote on X, “4 SEC teams will need to cancel non-conference games next season (Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi State), according to @FBSchedules.” That’s because SEC programs like Pittman’s Arkansas, Kirby Smart’s Georgia, Mark Stoops’ Kentucky, and Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State have overbooked their 2026 calendars under the old rules, 8 SEC games + 4 non-conference games.

But that won’t fit in 2026 as the SEC programs come under the 9 SEC games + 3 non-conference games format. The change was unanimously approved by SEC presidents and chancellors after a recommendation from the league’s athletics directors. What did the SEC Commissioner Sankey say?

As Marcello shared the statement, it read, “Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation.” Sankey has also touched upon the reason behind this decision. “This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and, paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff,’ said the SEC Commissioner. Now, how will the SEC move forward with the nine-game football schedule?

Under the new structure, the SEC will remain a single-standings, non-divisional league. In order to protect historic matchups, they have to keep three permanent rivals. That means six games are remaining. These, in turn, will be rotated among the remaining teams to ensure fairness, and every college football program faces one another at least once every two years and plays a full home-and-away series within four years. 

This new format will also open the SEC’s door to one marquee non-conference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame. It would expose the SEC programs to high-quality opposition outside the conference as well. Now, this is not going to sit well with Pittman.        

Sam Pittman’s warning as the SEC bids farewell to 33 years of tradition 

Pittman felt that adding a ninth SEC game would make the schedule more grueling. On top of that, with the inclusion of an extra tough conference game, it’s going to be a tough ride for mid-tier teams to make it to the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. The Arkansas head coach defended the old structure in November. He said, “Eight’s plenty. We’ve got to figure out exactly how to get to the championship game, but we don’t need nine. Everybody would be limping into the postseason play. I think it’s something about college football, you go out and play somebody that you never played before.”

This decision marks the end of a 33-year-old tradition as the SEC has been playing eight games since 1992 after it expanded from 10 to 12 teams. However, someone got lucky to mark themselves safe. That’s none other than Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Tigers. 

The Tigers are all good for 2026, as their series with Illinois was altered earlier this summer to drop games in 2026 and 2032. This leaves the SEC team with three nonconference games on its schedule. They are ticking off the SEC’s “big game” box as they are scheduled to play the big game in Kansas, Lawrence, the second installment of the renewed Border War rivalry.

But that’s not the case for 2027 as they will be facing off against Illinois, Illinois State, and FAU at home before heading to San Diego State. The same goes for the year later. Is this bold scheduling shift a masterstroke by the SEC or a major misstep, just as Sam Pittman fears?