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Published May 28, 2025
Per Brian Kelly, SEC coaches pushing to play Big Ten schools
Anthony Dasher  •  UGASports
Editor

MERIMAR ISLAND, Fla. – Could the SEC’s possible decision to go to nine games be tied to a scheduling deal with the Big Ten?

According to LSU coach Brian Kelly, it’s at least been discussed.

Kelly told reporters during Wednesday’s second day of the SEC Spring Meetings that league coaches want to reach a scheduling agreement with the Big Ten.

“We have the depth in this league, from top to bottom, and that we are the premier league in the country,” Kelly said. “We want to play Big Ten schools.”

Of course, Big Ten coaches would need to reciprocate.

Per a proposed model, coaches talked about scenarios where the SEC would play eight conference games, one Big Ten school, and three other games to fill out each team’s 12-game schedule.

According to Kelly, scheduling annual games against the Big Ten would give the SEC an opportunity to assert itself in the regular season, and theoretically help the conference get more teams in an expanded playoff field.

A proposed SEC-Big Ten scheduling agreement has been discussed before.

Last October, YAHOO Sports reported that the two super conferences could face off as many as 12 to 16 regular-season non-conference games per year, which would obviously lead to significantly more media revenue.

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