With the SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026, the ripple effects are already being felt across college football, particularly in the ACC. The SEC announced Thursday that each school will play three annual opponents to preserve traditional rivalries and rotate the remaining six games among the rest of the league.

Yesterday the SEC announced its move to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2026, which leaves the ACC as the only power conference still playing an eight-game schedule. For now, anyway. The SEC’s decision has to do with College Football Playoff expansion discussions,