The SEC is rumored to go to a 3-6-6 model in which every team has three annual opponents and six semi-annual opponents on year-by-year rotation in a nine-game conference schedule format. The additions of Oklahoma and Texas in my opinion is what complicates the ability of the league to put this together, hence why it's taking a long time. The downside of this format is that some of the biggest rivalries in the history of the conference are in jeopardy of being put on the back burner. Another hindrance is that some SEC schools have big rivals outside the conference, such as Clemson for South Carolina, FSU for Florida in the Sunshine Showdown, Georgia Tech for Georgia in “Clean Old-Fashioned Hate”, or even the in-state battle between Louisville and Kentucky. With that said, there can be hope for the beginning of new matchups that create fresh storylines or the possible resurrection of once-expired rivalries such as the heated contest of Texas-Texas A&M. So, let’s breakdown some annual matchups the SEC could lose out on in this format and the possible new exciting storylines in this concept.
Let’s start with Alabama. I think it’s a given they will get the usual run-ins with Auburn and Tennessee. Who would be their third opponent? LSU is probably the front-runner. Next, Arkansas. Along with some other SEC teams, the Razorbacks have a lot of rivals not only in the conference but also dating back to the old days of the Southwest Conference such as their current annual matchup with Texas A&M. Since they already have their neutral Southwest Classic game, the Aggies are in. The other two opponents could be Texas (old Southwest rival) and Ole Miss, an annual opponent since 1981. This is where other rivalries can be left aside. Arkansas loses out on seeing LSU yearly in “The Battle for the Golden Boot” or the end-of-the-year game with Missouri.
Tennessee as mentioned before will get Alabama, but if the conference valued the long history of their games with Kentucky and Vanderbilt (both facing UT over 100 times since the 1890s), then bye to the storied yearly games with Florida and Georgia. Now with the Florida-Tennessee rivalry, the SEC could factor in that once great competitive pairing has lost its luster with the fact that both teams have lost their national title contender status and the fact that Florida has dominated the series for the last two decades despite being consistently dysfunctional outside of beating the Vols.
As for Texas, I think their three opponents are the easiest to select. Arkansas would reintroduce their old Southwest rivalry and now the SEC could have it as their own. Texas A&M and Oklahoma are Texas' most hated rivals, so why would the conference not look at these three games for the Longhorns as yearly adversaries? This would do great to have not only the fans of the programs invested but also older CFB fans who grew up on these matchups and also bring the viewership of young fans who get to enjoy these matchups for the first time. Plus, having the Aggies-Longhorns return to constant battles would spark great ratings for ESPN since they will be the primary network that covers the conference this year and forward.
Now other potential losses of rivalries that don’t get the major coverage of the Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl, or Florida-Georgia will more likely be set to the side. This can include South Carolina-Georgia, Arkansas-LSU, Florida-Auburn, or even Alabama-Texas A&M. This was a very difficult process to breakdown and the SEC has a tough matchup in coming up with the best rivalries, having the newcomers' fanbases heavily invested, but also making sure the regional brands like Miss St or Arkansas also elevate in this system as well. It just means more in the SEC.
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