The SEC is going to a nine-game schedule in 2026 with three annual rivalries. Tennessee football should face Alabama, Florida and Vanderbilt

The SEC is making the right decision to preserve at least three permanent opponents per school in this new nine-game model. The conference's motto is literally "It just means more" so it would be pretty hypocritical to toss traditional rivalries in the name of staying relevant in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee.

Aspects of the nine-game schedule include the league sticking with its non-divisional structure, each school playing three annual opponents with a focus on traditional rivalries, the other six opponents on a rotation and facing every SEC opponent at least once every two years and every opponent home and away in four years.