The SEC made it official and announced a change to scheduling starting in 2026. The conference will transition to a nine-game slate, with teams having three permanent opponents each year, while the other six games will rotate, ensuring that every team plays every other team at least every two years.
There are a ton of options for who could be Florida's permanent three opponents, and we here at Hail Florida Hail are going to rank which schools we would actually want Florida to be paired with, down to who we want to stay far, far away from.
Zero Desire Tier
- Missouri
- Arkansas
- Mississippi State
- Texas A&M
The problem with these four schools is that Florida fans just have no real connection to any of these schools, and none of these games are ever circled when they do pop up on the schedule.
Since all the conference shuffling began, Florida has played Arkansas four times since 2010, and it is not an easy place to travel to.
On the reverse, this year will be the 6th time Florida and Texas A&M have squared off since the Aggies joined the SEC, but Gator fans also seem more annoyed by this matchup than anything.
Mississippi State doesn't excite anyone, and while Florida and Missouri had been annual opponents, no one actually considers Missouri to be a "real" SEC school.
Fine, If We Have To Tier
- South Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Kentucky
- Vanderbilt
- Ole Miss
Outside of Oklahoma and Ole Miss, these schools are long-time foes of the Gators, and there is at least history to fall back on with them being an annual opponent, and even Ole Miss is still at least a staple of the SEC, while Oklahoma is a brand name that at least brings something to the table.
Plus, the benefit of having Kentucky, Vanderbilt, or South Carolina annually is that while they will have some good years here and there, none of those have proven they can have sustained success and can provide a soft spot in the schedule.
If the SEC does their scheduling like it did for basketball, don't sleep on South Carolina being one of Florida's three permanent opponents.
No Rest For The Weary Tier
- Alabama
- Texas
Putting these two in their own category because they are both big brand names that would bring excitement year after year.
They would also create a giant headache for Florida year after year, being on the schedule compared to the conference cupcakes some other schools would draw.
These two have a low chance of happening.
The Contenders Tier
- Auburn
- LSU
- Tennessee
On paper, one would think Tennessee would be a lock to be one of Florida's three permanent rivals. However, with Vanderbilt and Alabama likely to be locks, does Florida slide in as their third dance partner, or does Kentucky?
Going back to the original basketball set up, Tennessee was one of Florida's "Permenant Rivals" before they got swapped out for Kentucky.
LSU would create the same headaches as the tier listed above, but at least Florida and LSU have developed a bit of a budding rivalry over the past few years.
Auburn is the sneaky one that a lot of Florida fans want to restore and if Gator fans got a vote, the Tigers would probably be high up most people's list.
Stone Cold Lock Tier
- Georgia
If there is one game that is a guarantee, it's Georgia.
There is too much history and too much money tied up in this game for it not to be a permanent fixture on Florida's schedule.