The Southeastern Conference announced this week that it will soon reveal each member’s three protected opponents. The SEC intends to announce the official reveal next week, on Tuesday. It comes after the conference opted to increase its current eight-game league schedule to nine games annually, beginning next season.
The Action Network first reported the news.
The remaining six conference games will consisting of rotating opponents.
In recent years, the SEC has experienced a spectacle of changes.
Last season, in 2024, the conference did away with its decades-old east and west divisions when it increased its membership to 16. The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners joined the league last year.
Texas and Oklahoma’s Red River Rivalry is expected to be one of the league’s protected match-ups. As are Alabama and Auburn’s annual Iron Bowl, the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party featuring Florida and Georgia, and the Egg Bowl featuring Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
