SEC schedule makers rob college football of historic Florida Gators rivalry, and they should be ashamed

It’s a travesty for Florida Gators fans.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 20, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier high-fives defensive back Sharif Denson (0) against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.
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The Southeastern Conference was planning on making some schedule changes for the 2026 season. The pressure was mounting for the SEC to add a ninth game to the conference schedule, as the Big Ten had already been doing so for years.

When the SEC announced it would be adding a ninth game, it also announced each team would have three regular opponents and that they would be announced officially on Tuesday. The list got leaked on Monday by On3 Sports’ Chris Low, and the Florida Gators have a rough trio of teams.

Florida Gators will no longer play Tennessee every year

The Florida Gators were an interesting team to try to predict. When we did predictions for who the Gators would play each week, the consensus landed on the Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, and LSU Tigers. The new scheduling format doesn’t have either LSU or Tennessee. The Gators will be facing Georgia, the South Carolina Gamecocks, and the Kentucky Wildcats.

On the surface, it certainly makes the path toward making the College Football Playoff a bit easier, as South Carolina and Kentucky are lesser opponents, historically, than LSU and Tennessee. However, they don’t carry any prestige.

The Gators don’t have an established rivalry with Kentucky or South Carolina. The rivalry with Tennessee has been one of the best in all of college football over the last 30 years. Historically played on the third Saturday in September, it’s decided not just SEC East titles, but multiple national champions (1996, 1998, 2006, 2008). Taking that away from the college football landscape just feels wrong.

When Texas A&M moved to the SEC from the Big 12, the rivalry with the Texas Longhorns was taken away. Thankfully, it has been mitigated with Texas also joining the conference. What the schedule makers don’t quite understand fully is that rivalries are what make college football special. Not having Florida and Tennessee every year is a travesty.

Now, losing out on the emerging rivalry that is LSU also stinks, but they have other rivalries that need to be a focus, especially Arkansas and Ole Miss. Heck, LSU doesn’t even play Alabama every year.

It’s a frustrating one for Gators fans not to have these games on the schedule, but it could make for an easier path to making the College Football Playoff. At least they will play LSU and Tennessee every other year, but it will never be the same.

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