The Florida-Tennessee football rivalry once commanded the attention of college sports fans each season. Now, for the first time in more than three decades, that game is off the calendar in 2026. Similarly, Alabama and LSU — two of the SEC’s most dominant programs — will not face each other this year, marking the first such omission since 1963. These changes are part of a larger transformation in the Southeastern Conference, which now features 16 teams and a new nine-game league schedule. With fewer guaranteed traditional matchups, the league is pushing harder to build a competitive slate for the expanding College Football Playoff system.
The new scheduling model, set to remain through 2029, requires each school to play three annual rivals each year. While some long-standing matchups like Alabama vs. Auburn and Florida vs. Georgia are still in place, others are no longer automatic. For example, the Georgia-Tennessee rivalry, which had been a regular since 1992, is absent from this season. Georgia coach Kirby Smart recently joked about the situation, pointing out that his team is "missing a win" without the game, but he also acknowledged the value of letting other teams face the challenge. "They’re a tough prep. I’m glad other teams get the opportunity," he said.
Even as some rivalries wane, others are being revived. The Arkansas-Texas matchup, once a highlight of the Southwest Conference, is back as an annual event after years of separation. That game even drew attention from President Richard Nixon in 1969. Two years ago, Missouri and Oklahoma rekindled a rivalry from the 1970s era, and Texas and Texas A&M are now playing annually again, bringing back the storied "Lone Star Shootout."
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, whose team lost its traditional season-ending matchup against Arkansas to Week 8, downplayed the impact of the schedule change. "I don’t worry about that," he said. "I know each and every game in the SEC is extremely difficult." The realignment isn’t just about timing or matchups — it’s about keeping the league competitive as it expands from its original 10 teams to 16. Every team now faces more pressure to perform against a wider array of opponents.
In addition to the nine-game SEC schedule, each team must play a 10th game against a Power Four opponent. This requirement has led to the return of the Kansas-Missouri "Border War" and added new early-season matchups such as Oklahoma-Michigan, Clemson-LSU, and Ohio State-Texas. Oklahoma coach Brett Venables embraced the new challenge, stating, "Each and every week, you're not going to sneak up on anybody."
While the new format has added competition, it has not increased access to the 12-team College Football Playoff. Instead, it has led to some teams missing out on annual meetings they once counted on. For instance, the Florida-LSU series — filled with controversy and unforgettable games — is no longer an automatic. In 2020, unranked LSU made headlines by defeating sixth-ranked Florida in Gainesville with a 57-yard field goal through fog. Moments like these might become rarer as the league continues to reshape itself.
The Tennessee-Florida rivalry once determined the winner of the SEC East 13 times from 1993 to 2009. Steve Spurrier's snide remarks about the Citrus Bowl and Peyton Manning's perfect 0-4 record against the Gators fueled the intensity of the matchup. Likewise, the Florida-LSU series has its share of wild moments, including the 1997 upset where fans rushed the field and tore down the goal posts. A decade later, the Tigers won another close one by converting five fourth-down plays. These kinds of games, once annual staples, may now happen less frequently due to the new scheduling rules.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey emphasized that the new system aims to strengthen the league’s overall strength of schedule as the playoff structure continues to evolve. For now, fans and coaches are trying to understand what the new format means for the league’s identity, its storied history, and where it’s headed in the future.