The Florida-Georgia rivalry, one of the most storied in college football, remains intact under the SEC's revamped scheduling format. (UAA file photo)
Carter's Corner: Revamped SEC Schedule Fits The Times
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — If you're 40 or younger, you can't remember a Florida football season without playing Tennessee and LSU.
The last time that happened was in 1989, when Emmitt Smith was concluding his run through the school record books before leaving after his junior season to enter the NFL Draft.
The Vols became a mainstay on Florida's schedule in 1990, while the Gators and LSU have played every season since 1971.
But with the Southeastern Conference announcing in August a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026, everyone knew that changes were coming that might disrupt annual rivalries around the league.
The league announced its verdict on Tuesday night, revealing each school's SEC slate for the next four seasons.
The Gators' annual rivalry against Georgia remains intact, but Kentucky and South Carolina will replace the Vols and Tigers as annual opponents over the next four seasons.
"Obviously, there's pros and cons, but we're really working in four-year blocks now," Florida head coach Billy Napier said Wednesday. "Big-picture-wise, I do anticipate playing LSU two out of the next four. We may not play them next year, but it's not completely gone away."
The same with Tennessee. A pro of the new schedule format is that each team plays every team in the conference at least once every two years. So, while the Gators won't face LSU in 2026, the Tigers visit The Swamp in 2027. And while they don't play the Vols next season, the Gators travel to Neyland Stadium in 2027.
Napier understands both sides of the argument. Some fans are disappointed that the SEC nixed certain annual rivalries, while others are eager to see different matchups more often.
"Some of those things are part of the evolution of the game, part of the evolution of our conference as we add teams to the mix," Napier said. "We don't have control over that. I love the LSU rivalry game, and certainly a fun one to play in. There's going to be change that comes with nine games. I think our league has done a good job formatting that in a way where we'll get exposure to each team in our league, home and away. You can't look at it year by year.
"We may miss out on some of these rivalry games annually, but over time, we'll get a chance to play those games, and maybe that makes them more significant."
For those fans who believe variety is the spice of life, they cheered the move. For instance, the Gators have not played at Auburn since 2011. That changes next season. They have not played at Alabama since 2014. That changes in 2027.
As Napier said, there are pros and cons. Meanwhile, the games go on.
That is what matters most.
The last time that happened was in 1989, when Emmitt Smith was concluding his run through the school record books before leaving after his junior season to enter the NFL Draft.The Vols became a mainstay on Florida's schedule in 1990, while the Gators and LSU have played every season since 1971.
But with the Southeastern Conference announcing in August a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026, everyone knew that changes were coming that might disrupt annual rivalries around the league.
The league announced its verdict on Tuesday night, revealing each school's SEC slate for the next four seasons.
2026-29 SEC Opponents 🗓️
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 23, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/zXMiLG6oGG
🎟️ https://t.co/itlzDm36M0 pic.twitter.com/67jh5Xxs5a
The Gators' annual rivalry against Georgia remains intact, but Kentucky and South Carolina will replace the Vols and Tigers as annual opponents over the next four seasons.
"Obviously, there's pros and cons, but we're really working in four-year blocks now," Florida head coach Billy Napier said Wednesday. "Big-picture-wise, I do anticipate playing LSU two out of the next four. We may not play them next year, but it's not completely gone away."
The same with Tennessee. A pro of the new schedule format is that each team plays every team in the conference at least once every two years. So, while the Gators won't face LSU in 2026, the Tigers visit The Swamp in 2027. And while they don't play the Vols next season, the Gators travel to Neyland Stadium in 2027.
Napier understands both sides of the argument. Some fans are disappointed that the SEC nixed certain annual rivalries, while others are eager to see different matchups more often.
"Some of those things are part of the evolution of the game, part of the evolution of our conference as we add teams to the mix," Napier said. "We don't have control over that. I love the LSU rivalry game, and certainly a fun one to play in. There's going to be change that comes with nine games. I think our league has done a good job formatting that in a way where we'll get exposure to each team in our league, home and away. You can't look at it year by year.
"We may miss out on some of these rivalry games annually, but over time, we'll get a chance to play those games, and maybe that makes them more significant."
For those fans who believe variety is the spice of life, they cheered the move. For instance, the Gators have not played at Auburn since 2011. That changes next season. They have not played at Alabama since 2014. That changes in 2027.
As Napier said, there are pros and cons. Meanwhile, the games go on.
That is what matters most.
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