SEC football sets 10-game conference-only schedule with September 26 late start

All Southeastern Conference schools will play 10 in-conference games only in the 2020 college football season, with the slate kicking off Sept. 26, which is notably later than plans previously announced by the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12. The SEC Championship Game will be Dec. 19 from Atlanta, which is two weeks later than usual. The schedule includes one midseason open date for each school and Dec. 12 off for each.

While the Big Ten and Pac-12 also decided on 10 conference-only games, the ACC on Wednesday announced its schools would also play 10 league games but with a "plus-one" non-conference game in an effort to save annual ACC/SEC rivalry games Georgia-Georgia Tech, Florida-Florida State, Kentucky-Louisville and South Carolina-Clemson. Those are gone now. So are these 2020 marquee games: Auburn-North Carolina, LSU-Texas and Tennessee-Oklahoma.

SEC schools typically play eight conference games per season: Six inside their respective divisions, one permanent cross-division opponent and one rotational cross-division opponent. For example, Alabama-Tennessee and Florida-LSU are permanent cross-division opponents. It's not clear what format the 2020 slate will take, but presumably two more cross-division foes would be added for each school.

Alabama remains the -135 favorite on the William Hill sportsbook moneyline odds to win the SEC title game, followed by Georgia (+450), defending champion LSU (+500) and Florida (+600).

Arguably the biggest loser of the SEC's decision is Louisiana-Monroe of the Sun Belt. The Warhawks were going to be paid a combined $3.2 million this season to be crushed Sept. 26 at Georgia and Nov. 21 at Arkansas. A small school like ULM might never recover from losing that much money.

The Big 12 is the only Power 5 Conference yet to announce its plans, but that is expected early next week at the latest. The Big 12 only has 10 schools, so it might be tougher to play only a conference schedule with every other Power 5 league playing 10. The Big 12 could either have its schools play one opponent twice or keep one non-conference game against a regional non-Power 5 foe. For example, Texas vs. UTEP, which is scheduled for Sept. 19 as of now.  

Update: Paul Finebaum has reported these will be the added crossover games:

• Alabama - Florida, Vanderbilt 
• Auburn - South Carolina, Missouri
• Arkansas - Georgia, South Carolina
• LSU - Kentucky, Tennessee
• Ole Miss: Tennessee, Mississippi State
• Mississippi State - Vanderbilt, Georgia
• Texas A&M - Missouri, Florida
• Florida - Alabama, Texas A&M
• Georgia - Arkansas, Mississippi State
• Kentucky - LSU, Ole Miss
• Missouri - Texas A&M, Auburn
• South Carolina - Auburn, Arkansas
• Tennessee - Ole Miss,  LSU
• Vanderbilt - Mississippi State, Alabama

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