Big Ten football has come in second behind the Southeastern Conference in power rankings published by CBS Sports.

“Playing nine Southeastern Conference games, and 10 Power Four games out of 12 contests per year, obviously gives our loyal Auburn fans more SEC football to watch, but at the same time ensures that long-standing regional rivalries are maintained,” Cohen said in the statement.

College football hit a new change via the SEC on Thursday. Now each SEC team will be adding an extra conference game with new details.

The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule, which means a third permanent opponent for the Auburn Tigers.

SEC athletic directors adopted a nine-game conference football schedule starting with the 2026-27 season, the league announced Thursday. The development comes as the CFP is set to implement new metrics in 2025 that place greater emphasis on strength of schedule,

The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026, ending a yearslong debate and potentially easing a path toward another College Football Playoff expansion.

BIRMINGHAM, AL (SEC) — The Southeastern Conference announced that it will implement a nine-game football schedule beginning in 2026, on Thursday afternoon.