The two most powerful conferences in all of college football are looking to create more marquee matchups. According to Heather Dinich of ESPN, the SEC and the Big Ten are considering a scheduling agreement for future nonconference games.
The powers that be from the SE and the Big Ten will meet in Nashville next week, according to Dinich. The scheduling partnership is one of the items expected to be on the table for discussion. Additionally, the two sides will discuss “their preferences for automatic bids in the next iteration of the College Football Playoff.” There’s discussion that the SEC and Big Ten could push for four automatic bids in the next playoff contract.
The current College Football Playoff contract runs through 2025. There’s a belief that the playoff could expand to 16 teams at that point.
According to Dinich, a potential hangup could come in the number of league games each conference plays.
In her piece for ESPN, Dinich writes, “The future scheduling partnership could hinge on whether the SEC eventually decides to go to nine conference games — a topic one SEC source said hasn’t been a focus of conversations lately. Some Big Ten athletic directors could push back on any agreement if the SEC doesn’t move to nine games, because the Big Ten already plays nine league opponents.”
Currently, the Big Ten plays nine conference games, while the SEC only plays eight. There’s been discussion amongst SEC members about adding another conference game to the schedule, but there isn’t a clear direction on that topic in the SEC at the moment.
The SEC requires its members to play at least one Power Four team among their four nonconference games. Typically, there has been an FCS school included in the mix. A scheduling agreement with the Big Ten would provide even more marquee matchups to the schedule.
The Sooners currently have matchups with Big Ten teams Michigan and Nebraska schedule over the next decade. OU will host the Wolverines in 2025 and travel to Ann Arbor in 2026. The Sooners and Nebraska Cornhuskers will play a home-and-home in 2029 and 2030.
OU plays four nonconference games in 2025 and has three nonconference games scheduled from 2026 through 2028. If the SEC expands to nine conference games after 2025, the Sooners’ schedule will be full unless adjustments are made.
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