For a year now, SEC officials have been discussing a division-less eight- or nine-game conference scheduling format with Texas and Oklahoma moving to the SEC from the Big 12 in 2024. In the eight-game format, teams will play one permanent opponent and seven rotating teams. In the nine-game format, teams will play three permanent opponents and six rotating.
Alabama coach Nick Saban says he isn’t necessarily a fan of the Crimson Tide’s proposed opponents.
“I’ve always been an advocate for playing more [conference] games,” Saban tells SI’s Ross Dellenger. “But if you play more games, I think you have to get the three fixed [opponents] right. They’re giving us Tennessee, Auburn and LSU. I don’t know how they come to that [decision].”
As the SEC continues to mull over those potential schedule formats, SI’s Dellenger made a first attempt at guessing the three permanent opponents for each SEC school based on rivalries, geography and parity:
