SEC to discuss 9th conference football game in 2025

While speculation continues to swirl around the SEC adding a ninth conference football game, commissioner Greg Sankey updated where things stand on that front.

Where things stand as the SEC contemplates adding a ninth conference game to the annual football schedule. / USA Today Sports | IMAGN

While fans debate whether or not the SEC should introduce a ninth conference game to its football schedule, league commissioner Greg Sankey says the subject has been "re-introduced" as a topic on the agenda in the near future.

Sankey said the SEC will wait to see how the newly-expanded College Football Playoff works out before discussing the potential addition of a ninth conference game to the schedule in remarks made to Yahoo Sports.

"We will use [the 12-team CFP] as a learning experience, and see how the committee evaluates competition, rather than doing analytics to predict," Sankey said. "That sets timing for the first quarter of next year."

The SEC has played eight conference football games since the 1992 season, although the addition of a ninth game has been gaining traction as a subject inside the league for the last two years.

But the expansion of the College Football Playoff from four to 12 teams introduces another element to the situation that Sankey says the SEC will take into consideration.

A year ago, expanding the SEC conference football schedule to a ninth game was one of the hot topics at the spring meetings, although the league stayed put at eight conference games in 2024 and 2025, leaving the matter of 2026 and beyond an open question.

Arguments for and against adding another conference game have made their way through the SEC.

Those in favor note that another game would mean more revenue and ticket sales for schools and the conference and allow schools to play more often in a league that has expanded to 16 members.

Those against another game contend that the SEC football schedule is already the most difficult in college football and would be made tougher still by adding more to the plate.

There is also some concern that introducing another game would make it harder for some SEC teams to reach the required six victories needed to become eligible for a bowl game.

These are all considerations the SEC will take into account when the conference meets to discuss the matter, a meeting that will take place sometime early in 2025.

(Yahoo)

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