Steve Sarkisian takes issue with SEC schedule imbalance, demands ‘continuity’

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian publicly aired his frustration with the SEC’s inconsistent scheduling, pointing out the distinct advantages some teams gain from mid-season breathers and late-year non-conference opponents.

Nick Wright — College Football Writer
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Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts after a touchdown during overtime against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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The scheduling discrepancies across the SEC are stark, and Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian is clearly uncomfortable with the hand his program was dealt. The Longhorns were the only team in the entire SEC to play their conference opener in October.

By comparison, the schedule was front-loaded for the league’s elite.

  • The No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels had already played three SEC opponents by the end of September. This allowed them midseason reprieves, including a home game against the Washington State Cougars after an October bye week, and a November matchup against The Citadel Bulldogs.
  • When the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide faced off in late September, both programs were coming off a bye week, with the Tide representing only the Bulldogs’ second conference opponent.

These early-season conference starts allow nearly 10 of the 16 SEC teams to play non-conference games in November — some of which are critical rivalry games, but others that offer a late-season breather. After hosting Texas this weekend, Georgia, for instance, closes the season with a non-conference home game against Charlotte.

The disadvantage of a front-loaded October gauntlet

For the Longhorns, their schedule combined the latest SEC opener with four games away from home in October. Sarkisian believes this put Texas at a tangible disadvantage, regardless of opponent quality.

Sarkisian spoke publicly on Thursday about his discomfort with a schedule that concludes with a road game against Georgia and rivalry matchups at home against Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M.

“No, I’m not comfortable,” Sarkisian stated. “I don’t think there’s enough continuity from a scheduling standpoint in the SEC and I understand with us being new to the conference and how schedules get set earlier, years in advance”.

Advantages and College Playoff implications

Sarkisian pinpointed the crucial advantage enjoyed by teams that spread their non-conference slate throughout the season:

“They’re playing conference games earlier in the year when their team’s 100-percent healthy”.

For teams like Texas, who play all their non-conference games at the front end of the season, the brutal SEC slate hits all at once when wear-and-tear is highest.

In a conference where nearly every matchup has playoff implications, the objective ability to play critical games at full health represents a distinct advantage.

While Sarkisian is currently forced to take a pragmatic approach, saying, “I don’t love our schedule, but it’s our schedule, and so I do love it in the same breath, because it is what it is. I just don’t think there’s a lot of parity from a scheduling standpoint of who’s getting non-conference games when. . . because of the impact that it has down the road when you start talking about the playoffs.” his remarks strongly suggest that he’s already working behind the scenes with AD Chris Del Conte to produce better outcomes.

The goal for the future, even with the new mandate to play nine conference games and one Power Four opponent annually, will be to insert non-conference games later in the year to restore the balance Sarkisian craves.

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