BREAKING: SEC moves to 10-game, conference-only schedule for 2020
OXFORD, Miss. –The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday the league will move to a 10-game, conference-only schedule for 2020, with the start of the season pushed back to September 26.
The SEC Championship game will be moved to December 19 from Dec. 5.
“This new plan for a football schedule is consistent with the educational goals of our universities to allow for the safe and orderly return to campus of their student populations and to provide a healthy learning environment during these unique circumstances presented by the COVID-19 virus,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said.
“This new schedule supports the safety measures that are being taken by each of our institutions to ensure the health of our campus communities.”
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey
With the change in season schedule due to COVID-19, the conference loses some big games, including Ole Miss vs. Baylor, LSU vs. Texas, Auburn vs. North Carolina, and Oklahoma vs. Tennessee. However, it also means SEC teams will each play two additional league opponents, ostensibly making schedules more difficult…and more entertaining.
For Ole Miss, there will be the addition of two league contests. Unconfirmed rumors are the Rebels will add games at Tennessee and host Kentucky--but it’s important to note those are not confirmed at this point and could be subject to change.
Ole Miss previously had non-conference games against Baylor, Southeast Missouri, Georgia Southern, and Connecticut.
SEC has announced changes to the 2020 season. @OleMissFB season ticket holders will receive more information in the coming days. https://t.co/1c0p35ZtQO
— Ole Miss Tickets (@OleMissTix) July 30, 2020
In addition to the two as-of-yet named league opponents for 2020, the Rebs will also play Auburn, at LSU, Alabama, at Vanderbilt, Florida, at A&M, at Arkansas, and host Mississippi State.
“We believe these schedule adjustments offer the best opportunity to complete a full season by giving us the ability to adapt to the fluid nature of the virus and the flexibility to adjust schedules as necessary if disruptions occur,” Sankey said. “It is regrettable that some of our traditional non-conference rivalries cannot take place in 2020 under this plan, but these are unique, and hopefully temporary, circumstances that call for unconventional measures.”
Quite a draw for Lane Kiffin’s first year in Oxford. We bet he’ll be up for the challenge!
Stay tuned for more info as it happens.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
