Brian Kelly Drops Surprising Insight on SEC Scheduling — Could It Shake Up LSU’s Future?

LSU’s head honcho Brian Kelly is stepping into the ring, fully geared for a grueling season ahead. When SEC bigwigs convened in sunny Destin, Florida, the hot topic wasn’t just about who’s bringing their A-game—it was about shaking up the very fabric of the conference schedule. Kelly, alongside other coaches, threw their weight behind pushing the SEC from eight to nine conference games, plus weaving in a rotating matchup against the Big Ten. It’s been a sticking point—eight games just don’t cut it compared to other power conferences, leading to some raised eyebrows and pointed critiques. Ever since the SEC expanded to 16 teams with Texas and Oklahoma, the league’s been caught in a scheduling limbo, uprooting historic rivalries and leaving teams, like LSU, facing strange voids—no Mississippi State, no Auburn in 2024. Cranking up to nine games might just spice things up, stirring the pot with fresh rivalries and boosting playoff credentials. Even with just eight conference battles last year, LSU didn’t shy from the challenge, locking horns with USC and UCLA outside the league—and next year’s opener at Clemson promises no walk in the park either. Intrigued? LEARN MORE

A move to nine games would bring more intrigue and variance to the schedules while allowing SEC teams to bolster their playoff resumes.Since the SEC moved to 16 teams with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, the conference has still not decided on a permanent scheduling format. We saw some rivalries get uprooted in 2024 as the SEC struggled to fit every key game into a eight-game schedule. LSU’s schedule looked different without Mississippi State or Auburn on the slate.LSU football head coach Brian Kelly isn’t shying away from playing a tough schedule.Even though LSU only played eight SEC games in 2024, the Tigers scheduled two Power Four nonconference opponents in USC and UCLA. LSU’s 2025 slate is shaping up to be challenging, too, with a road trip to Clemson in week one.The SEC coaches got together this week for the conference’s annual meetings in Destin, Florida. Kelly, along with other SEC coaches, advocated for moving to a nine-game conference schedule and adding a rotational game vs. the Big Ten.

Right now, the SEC only schedules eight conference games, one less than the norm around the country. Fans of other power conferences, such as the Big Ten, have used that as a point of criticism.