Mark Stoops unfazed by SEC moving to 9 games: 'It’s hard to get more difficult than this year'

The timing of the SEC’s announcement that it is moving to nine conference games starting in 2026 may have caught some people off guard last week, but the move itself felt inevitable. On Monday, Mark Stoops told reporters they could just look up his previous remarks when asked for his thoughts on playing nine SEC games each season, quipping that it’ll be hard to top the gauntlet Kentucky faces this fall.

“I felt like I was prepared for that to come, and I think that’s where it was headed for a long time. I think the last official quote I had on that was I was tired of talking about it, bring it on, whatever it is, it is. Look at our schedule this year; it’s hard to get more difficult than that. We have a top five, top six most difficult schedule (in the nation), and next year it will be about the same.” 

Kentucky has been opposed to the nine-game format since talks first started; however, the new rules include a clause that each team must play a Power Four opponent, which preserves the Governor’s Cup. Stoops confirmed that he’s happy that the annual rivalry game vs. Louisville isn’t going anywhere.

“I think I was on record the last time we talked about that, and I said I was for [keeping the Louisville game].”

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When it comes to the nine-game format, each SEC team will have three permanent opponents, “focused on maintaining many traditional rivalries,” with the remaining six games rotating among the remaining SEC schools. Every team will face every other SEC team at least once every two years and every opponent, home and away, in four years. In 2023, a proposal for each team’s three permanent opponents made the rounds. Kentucky’s were Georgia, Mississippi State, and Arkansas. When asked about potentially not playing Tennessee every year, Stoops said that’s a decision that’s above his pay grade.

“I don’t recall that in ‘23, but I could promise you going forward, I have no clue. I’ve had a lot to do, and I felt like, you know, that’s out of my hands.”

Stoops joked that even though he’s the longest-tenured football coach in the league, he has zero input on what the SEC does when it comes to schedules and the like.

“Let’s be honest, people ask me my opinion and everything, and I know, I’ve been in this league for 13 years, but I could promise you that the people above me don’t really care what I think about that (laughter), at the commissioner’s office, and the commissioner’s level, and the presidents, everybody has to do what’s best for the league. I understand that, I believe in the leadership, this school in the conference, and it is what it is. I’m not going to change that, no matter what my opinion is.”

During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show last week, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said that the league will present the 2026 schedule to schools in the middle of this season, ahead of a public announcement in December. Until then, we all — including Stoops — will keep guessing on who the Cats will draw. ICYMI on Friday, here are the talking heads’ best guesses.

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