Were coaches misled about expanding to 9 SEC games? What Shane Beamer said
The SEC has yet to play a season with nine conference games, and some already seem to have regrets over the decision.
In a story published by On3’s Brett McMurphy, a number of SEC coaches noted that when they voted to go from eight to nine conference games, they were under the impression that it would lead to changes to the College Football Playoff.
“Shoot,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said, “I remember last year, we were told if we went to nine games the Big Ten would vote for a 16-team playoff in 2026 and, I think, we’re still at a 12-team playoff.”
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said he was under the same impression.
“There was a pretty general understanding that us going to nine games was also going to result in the playoff expanding,” Beamer said. “Whether coaches agreed (on going to nine games) or not, it was gonna happen.”
The calculous around adding another conference game without an expanded playoff, Beamer said, doesn’t make much sense.
Because, well, adding another conference game means you’re just giving half the teams in the SEC an extra loss.
Beamer wouldn’t go as far as Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who used the word “regret” when talking about the transition to nine games, but expressed his desire that the College Football Playoff selection committee would reward the SEC for playing nine conference games.
“I would hope that strength of schedule would continue to factor in even more heavily than what it is currently,” he said. “I don’t think anybody can dispute the level of competition in this league week in and week out.”
Regardless, the discussion surrounding the future of the playoff will rage on. The Big 10 has made it clear it wants to expand to 24 teams while SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said on Wednesday that his league prefers a 16-team playoff.
9 SEC games on South Carolina’s schedule in 2026
- Sept. 5 vs. Kent State (12:45 p.m. on SEC Network)
- Sept. 12 vs. Towson (7 p.m. on SEC Network Plus)
- Sept. 19 vs. Mississippi State (4:15 p.m. on SEC Network)
- Sept. 26 at Alabama (TIME, TV TBD)
- Oct. 3 vs. Kentucky (TIME, TV TBD)
- Oct. 10 at Florida (TIME, TV TBD)
- Oct. 17 - BYE WEEK
- Oct. 24 vs. Tennessee (TIME, TV TBD)
- Oct. 31 at Oklahoma (TIME, TV TBD)
- Nov. 7 vs. Texas A&M (TIME, TV TBD)
- Nov. 14 at Arkansas (TIME, TV TBD)
- Nov. 21 vs. Georgia (TIME, TV TBD)
- Nov. 28 at Clemson (TIME, TV TBD)
