The SEC intends to move forward and play college football in the 2020 season. On Monday, the league officially released its retooled 10-game conference schedule. As previously announced, the SEC will begin playing on Sept. 26, which would normally be Week 4 of the season.
A number of big-time games have been moved as a result of the customized schedule. The Florida-Georgia game, which normally takes place within seven days of Halloween weekend, will instead be played in the new “Week 7” on November 7. The game is still scheduled for Jacksonville, Florida. Speaking of the Gators, their annual rivalry game in Tennessee has been moved to Dec. 5, marking for the first time since 2001 that the game will be played in the final week of the season.
Although the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn will remain on November 28, it will no longer be the last regular season game of the season for either team. The Crimson Tide will travel to Arkansas next week with the Tigers hosting Texas A&M.
Each SEC team has a built-in bye week between week 5 and week 7, plus a conference-wide open week on Dec. 12. To address any disturbances that may occur. The SEC Championship Game, originally scheduled for Dec. 5th. At Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, will instead be played on Dec. 19.
See the full schedule below.
Week 1 (Sept. 26)
Alabama, Missouri
Florida by Ole Miss
Georgia in Arkansas
Kentucky in Auburn
Mississippi State by LSU
Tennessee in South Carolina
Vanderbilt by Texas A&M
Week 2 (Oct. 3)
Texas A&M in Alabama
Arkansas by Mississippi State
Auburn near Georgia
South Carolina in Florida
Ole Miss in Kentucky
LSU by Vanderbilt
Missouri, Tennessee
Week 3 (Oct. 10)
Alabama by Ole Miss
Arkansas by Auburn
Tennessee in Georgia
Florida by Texas A&M
Mississippi State in Kentucky
Missouri at LSU
South Carolina at Vanderbilt
Week 4 (Oct. 17)
Georgia near Alabama
Ole Miss in Arkansas
Auburn near South Carolina
LSU in Florida
Kentucky in Tennessee
Texas A&M in Mississippi State
Vanderbilt in Missouri
Week 5 (Oct. 24)
Alabama, Tennessee
Auburn by Ole Miss
Missouri, Florida
Georgia in Kentucky
South Carolina at LSU
Byes: Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Arkansas
Week 6 (Oct. 31)
Mississippi State in Alabama
Arkansas by Texas A&M
LSU in Auburn
Kentucky in Missouri
Ole Miss by Vanderbilt
Byes: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee
Week 7 (Nov 7)
Tennessee in Arkansas
Florida vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, FL)
Vanderbilt in Mississippi State
Texas A&M in South Carolina
Byes: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Missouri
Week 8 (Nov. 14)
Alabama by LSU
Arkansas in Florida
Auburn by Mississippi State
Georgia in Missouri
Vanderbilt in Kentucky
South Carolina by Ole Miss
Texas A&M in Tennessee
Week 9 (Nov 21)
Kentucky in Alabama
LSU in Arkansas
Tennessee by Auburn
Florida by Vanderbilt
Mississippi State in Georgia
Ole Miss by Texas A&M
Missouri, South Carolina
Week 10 (Nov. 28)
Auburn by Alabama
Arkansas in Missouri
Kentucky in Florida
Georgia, South Carolina
LSU by Texas A&M
Mississippi State by Ole Miss
Tennessee by Vanderbilt
Week 11 (Dec 5)
Alabama in Arkansas
Texas A&M in Auburn
Florida, Tennessee
Vanderbilt in Georgia
South Carolina in Kentucky
Ole Miss by LSU
Missouri in Mississippi State
The league agreed to its adjusted schedule at the end of July and announced in early August that team would be given two extra games on top of their normal eight-game conference schedule. Of course, not everyone came out a winner, and reports indicate that a conference call from coaches got “controversial” over some competitive imbalance, if you will.
Still, football is being played – if at least planned, but that is far from a given in 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the world.
