The SEC continues to dominate headlines. Just a week following the SEC Meetings in Destin last week, the league announced an 8-game conference schedule for 2024. The SEC remains the only Power-5 conference with 8 interconference games opposed to 9. The 8 game conference schedule is a real sore spot for other conferences. For year’s Big Ten fans point to the number of conference games as a knock against SEC programs. But last night the 2024 SEC schedule release silenced the critics. Some rules for the 2024 SEC schedule. This is the first year Texas and Oklahoma will be members of the conference. Divisions are gone. The SEC Championship Game will be between the top-2 teams. This is just the format for the 2024 SEC football season. 2025 and beyond will be discussed in the future with the pods idea and a 9th conference game not ruled out.
The SEC had a difficult job keeping the balance of the schedules relatively close, keeping the many rivalry games going, and giving all the schools a shot at either Texas or OU in the first season. The checked the last box beautifully while bringing back the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry. The rivalries largely stay in place. Alabama will still play Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee in 2024. Georgia will still play the Gators in Jacksonville, plus games against Auburn and Tennessee. I think the conference did a beautiful job finding a balance between honoring past rivalries, infusing Texas and Oklahoma, and giving us the big time matchups we expect from the conference. One thing is very apparent; the 2024 SEC Schedule Release silences the critics.
Texas and Oklahoma
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It finally feels real. Texas and OU going the SEC makes the most intriguing conference in America that much more intriguing. They will continue their rivalry at the Cotton Bowl.
Texas will host a pair of SEC blue bloods in their first season with Florida and Georgia making trips to Austin in addition to Kentucky and Mississippi State. The Longhorns will travel to Kyle Field to face A&M along with trips to Arkansas and Vanderbilt (OU is technically a road game).
Oklahoma has a very difficult schedule for 2024. They host Bama, lost a true home game to Texas for the Red River Rivalry, and also welcome in Tennessee and South Carolina. They get to travel to Death Valley to face LSU, and get Auburn, Ole Miss, and Mizzou all on the road.
Buckle up Texas and Oklahoma. Gone are the days of Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and TCU. Welcome to Georgia, Bama, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee.
Game of the Century... Again?
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The SEC will give the college football world the game of the weekend (whenever that is) when Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide. These tams have played against each other twice since 2019 with each team taking one. The loser of this game will have very little margin for error if they want a rematch in the SEC Championship Game. But with the CFP going to 12 teams in 2024 the loser will still be in a great spot to make it to the playoffs.
Florida in 2024
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So Gators fans… you’ve got the toughest schedule in the country in 2024. We don’t know that for sure, but look at this schedule. Home games against Miami, UCF and Samford for their non-conference games and Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and LSU. Neutral site game against Georgia. And road trips to Florida State, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Texas. This is an absolute gauntlet of a schedule. Good luck Gators fans. 2024 is going to be one hell of a meat grinder schedule.
Non-Conference Games
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In addition to the 8 conference games, every SEC institution has to play one other power 5, or major independent school. Among those games in 2024 Georgia plays Clemson. Florida will play Miami, Florida State, and UCF. Alabama travels to Madison to take on Wisconsin. LSU hosts UCLA and plays USC in Las Vegas. And Texas A&M will open the 2024 season hosting Notre Dame. Other conferences can look at the 8 game conference schedule and complain all they want. The SEC doesn’t duck other conferences, and the teams at the top aren’t afraid to play other elite programs.
