The SEC will play a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026, the league said Thursday, a historic move it's been considering for years. The decision was approved by the SEC's presidents and chancellors after a recommendation by the athletic directors in the conference.

The SEC has played eight conference games each season since 1992 when the conference expanded to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Conference still plays eight league games. The Big 12 and the Big Ten already play nine. Under the SEC's new format:

Eli Drinkwitz has long been a supporter of adding an additional ninth conference game in the SEC, at least until it became the reality. Following the SEC’s announcement Thursday that the league would apopt a nine-game conference schedule beginning with the 2026 season,