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SEC Shake-Up: Annual LSU-Alabama Game Ends
7 Nov
Summary
- SEC's new scheduling model ends the annual LSU-Alabama football game.
- Expansion to 16 teams forces a nine-game conference schedule.
- LSU and Alabama won't meet annually starting in 2027.
The Southeastern Conference's (SEC) expansion to 16 teams, including Texas and Oklahoma, has necessitated a new nine-game conference schedule. This shift officially ends the 63-season consecutive streak of annual football games between LSU and Alabama. Though the rivalry will persist, it will no longer be a guaranteed fixture on the calendar each year. LSU's protected opponents are Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, while Alabama will continue to face Auburn, Tennessee, and Mississippi State annually.
This new model means LSU and Alabama will not play in 2027, with their series resuming in 2028. The SEC's decision aims to ensure all conference programs visit every other SEC stadium at least once every two seasons. This promotes competitive balance but comes at the cost of iconic matchups built over decades. The tradition of LSU and Alabama meeting every year since 1964 has fostered deep-seated fan expectations and memories.
While the SEC prioritizes broader conference play and television opportunities, this decision highlights a tension between tradition and modernization. The loss of an annual game, even one not always carrying championship implications, impacts the shared history and identity of these programs. Future meetings between LSU and Alabama will still be significant, but the continuity that defined the rivalry for generations is altered.
