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Winners & Losers of 2026 SEC Schedule Release

by: Gray Robertson9 hours ago
Screenshot 2025-09-10 at 1.28.56 PM
Crash Kamon/Softball America

Since the SEC expanded and switched up the schedule rotation, the release of the upcoming conference slate has carried a little more meaning (one could say it just means…well, you know the phrase). Not all schedules are created equal, and there are even some cases where who you don’t play matters almost as much as who you do. Now, with the latest release from the conference office, it’s time to take a look at the winners and losers based on who you play, where you play them, and who you miss. Let’s dive right in.

WINNER: Alabama has an opportunity

Slate: at Ole Miss, Arkansas, at Missouri, BYE, Texas, at Auburn, Kentucky, at Tennessee, South Carolina

Missed: Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma

One of the reasons why I’m so high on the Crimson Tide this season (apart from the highly-touted freshman class and some key returners) is an SEC schedule that presents a huge opportunity. The two crucial weekends here are Texas and Tennessee, and the Longhorns have to come to Rhoads. The journey to Knoxville will be extremely difficult (one could argue the toughest weekend on the schedule), but the other three away weekends are manageable. It’ll also be great to see the Iron Bowl of Softball rekindled as well after last season’s lone meeting came in the SEC Tournament. 

The aforementioned Texas series is the star of the home slate, but that comes after a well-positioned bye weekend. The other home series (Arkansas, Kentucky, and South Carolina) certainly give Patrick Murphy’s squad a chance to gain some key victories as they vie for strong positioning in the SEC standings. Last but not least, the absence of five teams I had in my way-too-early Top 15 (Florida, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma) looms large. Simply put, when I chart things out, this feels like an extremely doable slate for the Crimson Tide.

LOSER: Kentucky’s brutal draw

Slate: at Auburn, Florida, at Texas A&M, Georgia, at Oklahoma, Tennessee, at Alabama, Texas, BYE

Missed: Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Missouri

​When I first get the schedule, I look for the tough stretches. Who has a brutal 3-4 weeks that could really make life difficult? Kentucky’s schedule makes other 3-4 week stretches look like a carnival. With the bye coming at the very end before hosting the SEC Tournament, the Wildcats will have eight straight weeks of conference play. After starting with a road trip to Auburn (which is probably the time of the year you don’t want to play the Tigers), Kentucky runs through a gauntlet that includes road trips to Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Alabama, as well as home weekends against Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas. All of those teams were inside my way-too-early top 15.

​It’s a brutal draw for a team with a lot of question marks coming into 2026, and surviving without a bye or a break of any sort will be difficult. At least Kentucky’s RPI and strength of schedule will be really, really strong.

WINNER: Florida misses some contenders

Slate: Missouri, at Kentucky, Tennessee, at Arkansas, Mississippi State, at South Carolina, Auburn, BYE, at Georgia

Missed: Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss

​Similar to Alabama, this schedule feels like an opportunity for the Florida Gators. The toughest stretch in here is the pairing of Tennessee and at Arkansas, and closing with Georgia in Athens won’t be easy whatsoever, but one would think Florida would be favored in every other series on the schedule. Starting with Missouri at home and a trip to Lexington gives the Gators a massive chance to get off to a strong start in the league too.

​Also similar to the Crimson Tide, the Gators don’t have to face a bevy of teams that figure to factor into the SEC race. When you chart things out, this schedule has the balance you want each week and doesn’t feature too many difficult stretches. I could argue the Gators are the biggest winners in this entire release.

LOSER: Ole Miss starts with a bang

Slate: Alabama, at Texas, Oklahoma, at Tennessee, BYE, Texas A&M, at LSU, at Auburn, Mississippi State

Missed: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina

​Last season, Ole Miss made a great push late in the year that culminated in the school’s first trip to Oklahoma City…then came an offseason full of graduations, departures, and now a search for a new assistant coach. With so many new faces, it may take some time for the Rebels to truly gel. Unfortunately, this schedule really isn’t conducive for that. Starting with Alabama, at Texas, Oklahoma, and at Tennessee is about as difficult as you could conjure up considering both projections for 2026 and series history, and it’ll be fascinating to see the mindset of the Rebels once that bye week comes along.

​The back portion of the schedule provides a little more breathing room, but not much. The final two series at Auburn and against Mississippi State in Oxford will be massive for postseason positioning. It’s also a tough draw that a few bottom-half projected teams aren’t on the 2026 schedule.

WINNER: LSU’s back half of possibility

Slate: at Tennessee, Texas A&M, at South Carolina, Oklahoma, at Missouri, BYE, Ole Miss, at Mississippi State, Auburn

Missed: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas

First thing’s first—the front portion of the schedule is difficult. Opening SEC play with a road trip to Knoxville isn’t easy, and following that with the Aggies, the Gamecocks in Columbia, and Oklahoma looks daunting. Then, the skies clear. If LSU can manage things well in the first half of conference play, the back half seems ripe with opportunity.

A road trip to Missouri could be testy depending on vibes following the difficult start, but then comes a perfectly-placed bye week, followed by Ole Miss, a visit to Starkville against Mississippi State, and a weekend in Baton Rouge against Auburn. All four of those teams finished in the bottom half of the conference last season and are trying to replace key pieces. Missing contenders like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and Texas help matters as well. If LSU is still within striking distance of the top of the league at the midpoint, look out for the Tigers as a late breaker to potentially claim the SEC crown.  

LOSER: Arkansas gets the dreaded Texas/Oklahoma road double

Slate: Georgia, at Alabama, BYE, Florida, Auburn, at Mississippi State, at Oklahoma, Missouri, at Texas

Missed: Kentucky, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee

​Well…on paper, this is hard. Look, somebody every year is going to have to travel to both Oklahoma and Texas, two programs that have shown zero signs of slowing down. Unfortunately, the arrow landed on the Razorbacks in 2026, which only adds to a tough road trip to Alabama and a tricky weekend in Starkville against Mississippi State right before journeying to Norman. Of course, Arkansas could pull off what Tennessee did last year (winning series in Austin and Norman), but it certainly won’t be easy. One other detail of note is that the regular season ends at Texas, which is arguably the toughest series on this schedule. If Arkansas is in a position to win the league, trying to seal the deal in Austin is about the most difficult scenario you could imagine.

​The biggest stretch may come in the middle with home series against Florida and Auburn right before that trip to Starkville. Those series will be crucial in setting the stage for what kind of stakes Arkansas will be playing for later in the year. 

OTHER SEC SCHEDULE SUPERLATIVES

Best SEC Opening Weekend Matchup: LSU at Tennessee (March 6-8)

Best SEC Weekend: March 27-29 (including Florida at Arkansas, Oklahoma at LSU, and Texas A&M at Texas)

Other Best SEC Weekend: April 10-12 (including Alabama at Auburn, Florida at South Carolina, and Oklahoma at Texas)

Best SEC Final Weekend Matchup: Oklahoma at Texas A&M (April 30-May 2)

Full 2026 SEC Softball Conference Schedule

March 6-8

Alabama at Ole Miss

Georgia at Arkansas

Kentucky at Auburn

Missouri at Florida

LSU at Tennessee

Texas at South Carolina

March 13-15

Arkansas at Alabama

Auburn at Oklahoma

Florida at Kentucky

Texas A&M at LSU

Ole Miss at Texas

Tennessee at Mississippi State

March 20-22

Alabama at Missouri

Tennessee at Florida

Mississippi State at Georgia

Kentucky at Texas A&M

LSU at South Carolina

Oklahoma at Ole Miss

March 27-29

Florida at Arkansas

Missouri at Auburn

Georgia at Kentucky

Oklahoma at LSU

Ole Miss at Tennessee

South Carolina at Mississippi State

Texas A&M at Texas

April 3-5

Texas at Alabama

Auburn at Arkansas

Mississippi State at Florida

Georgia at Texas A&M

Kentucky at Oklahoma

LSU at Missouri

South Carolina at Tennessee

April 10-12

Alabama at Auburn

Arkansas at Mississippi State

Florida at South Carolina

Missouri at Georgia

Tennessee at Kentucky

Texas A&M at Ole Miss

Oklahoma at Texas

April 17-19

Kentucky at Alabama

Arkansas at Oklahoma

Auburn at Florida

Texas at Georgia

Ole Miss at LSU

Mississippi State at Texas A&M

South Carolina at Missouri

April 24-26

Alabama at Tennessee

Missouri at Arkansas

Ole Miss at Auburn

Georgia at Oklahoma

Texas at Kentucky

LSU at Mississippi State

Texas A&M at South Carolina

April 30-May 2

South Carolina at Alabama

Arkansas at Texas

Auburn at LSU

Florida at Georgia

Mississippi State at Ole Miss

Tennessee at Missouri

Oklahoma at Texas A&M

May 5-9

SEC Tournament (Lexington, Ky.)

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