LSU football head coach Brian Kelly shares take on SEC scheduling format
LSU football head coach Brian Kelly isn't shying away from playing a tough schedule.
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.
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.
A move to nine games would bring more intrigue and variance to the schedules while allowing SEC teams to bolster their playoff resumes.
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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.
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