LSU Versus Alabama Football Rivalry Destroyed By SEC

The Southeastern Conference, or SEC, might be one of the best performing athletic conferences across all major college sports. But when it comes to decision making, the SEC hasn't always been the gold standard.

From conference realignment decisions to disciplinary decisions, the SEC has had loud critics at almost every turn. But they may have made their worst decision yet, and this one might be one they don't get away from. This is one that people will be reminded of every single year.

The SEC Has Changed Conference Scheduling For Football

Moving forward, at least through 2029, the SEC will be running 9-game football schedules that will feature three 'annual opponents' for each team. These are essentially the 'rivalry' games that the conference wants to keep in place year after year.

So logically, LSU would have Alabama as one of their 'annual opponents', right?

LSU Does Not Have Alabama On Their Annual Schedule

The leadership at the SEC has decided that LSU's 'annual opponents' will be Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Arkansas. That's it. No Alabama on the annual schedule.

This doesn't mean that LSU will never play Alabama again. There's still a chance for the two programs to meet every year, as the SEC Championship Game will now host the #1 and #2 overall seeds in the whole conference...because they don't have divisions anymore. That means if LSU and Alabama finish 1 and 2, their first meeting of the year would be for the SEC crown.

When Will LSU and Alabama Play In The Next Few Seasons?

This doesn't mean that LSU and Alabama will never play during the regular season. In fact, the two will square off in 2026, which will be in Baton Rouge. Then they will meet again in 2028 in Tuscaloosa.

But the 2027 and 2029 seasons will not see an LSU vs Bama game, unless it's the SEC Championship Game.