Brian Kelly's take on LSU's three permanent SEC opponents

The SEC is moving to nine conference games in 2026, further adding to the challenge of being in the best conference in the country. The format is three traditional rivals to play every year with the other 12 programs rotating in two batches of six.

The hotly contested topic since this announcement is the three annual opponents. LSU is not a team with another program in its state like most of the SEC, as the entire SEC west was a rival at one point or another. LSU head coahc Brian Kelly was asked about the new format and three potential rivals on Thursday.

“It’s been an open conversation at every SEC meeting with athletic directors and coaches,” Kelly said. “It’s been at the top of the agenda, so everyone’s aware of what is out there. The athletic director here knows what it is, but the head coach doesn’t. I’ve said this from day one, you can make a case for a half-dozen teams that would be natural rivals, but other teams want those games as well. They’ll come up with a good rationale for it.”

Kelly, as he always does, inserted a bit of his humor into the answer, but admits that it’s out of his hands.

“I’ll take Alabama and I’ll take Georgia… no I’m kidding,” Kelly said with a laugh. “We’ll play whoever they tell us to play but I don’t know who it’s going to be. I’ve been in every one of those meetings and I’ve heard everyone talk about what they would prefer. I just want to play what would be our rivals, but I don’t have a vote in this. This is the athletic directors and our commissioner.”

It’s going to be impossible to balance things in this conference, which Kelly acknowledged, but for LSU, there’s several ways this could turn out. Texas A&M, Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Alabama are the six teams mostly associated with LSU in terms of “rivals”, but which ones will be the three that stick?

“Some feel as though they’re going to get the short end of this and others will feel like they got a good deal,” Kelly said. “At the end of the day, all of those factors will play a role in the decision ends up being.

SEC makes move to nine conference games

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (August 21, 2025) – The Southeastern Conference (SEC) today announced it will implement a nine-game football schedule beginning in 2026, reinforcing the SEC’s position as the nation’s leader in competitive excellence and fan excitement. The decision, approved by the SEC’s Presidents and Chancellors following a recommendation by the league’s Athletics Directors, was announced by Commissioner Greg Sankey.

“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.”

Under the new format:

• The SEC will continue with a single-standings, non-divisional structure;
• Each school will play three annual opponents focused on maintaining many traditional rivalries;
• Each team’s remaining six games will rotate among the remaining conference schools; and
• Each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years and every opponent home and away in four years.

SEC teams are required to schedule at least one additional high quality non-conference from the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten or Big 12 conferences or Notre Dame each season. The SEC will continue to evaluate its policies to ensure the continued scheduling of high-quality non-conference opponents.

*SEC press release