FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The SEC on Tuesday unveiled the SEC football opponents and sites for Arkansas for the 2026 through 2029 seasons, including its new permanent rivals and a shift to a nine-game conference schedule.
The changes are intended to create greater balance and predictability, while preserving traditional rivalries.
Beginning with the 2026 season, SEC schools will play nine conference games instead of the previous eight.
The league’s new “3-protected / 6-rotating” model means each team will have three annual opponents and six others that rotate so every school faces every other conference member at least once every two years, and plays every opponent home and away over the four-year span.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the change “underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation.”
Arkansas’ permanent rivals named
For Arkansas, its three permanent SEC opponents over the next four seasons will be Texas, LSU and Missouri. These matchups will occur every year from 2026 through 2029.
The Battle Line Rivalry with Missouri takes on added importance in this structure. Arkansas and Missouri have met multiple times, and the annual frequency will likely intensify familiarity in recruiting, scheduling, and fan interest.
According to published schedules, Arkansas will face a demanding lineup that balances historic rivals with the SEC’s newest power programs.
Officials believe the rotation model ensures every team has fair exposure across the league while also maintaining consistency with long-standing rivalries.
Arkansas’ conference slate 2026–2029
Arkansas’ 2026 schedule includes home games with Georgia, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee, while road trips feature Auburn, Texas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.
In 2027, the Razorbacks will host Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Texas, while traveling to Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
The 2028 slate will mirror 2026 with venues reversed, and 2029 will follow the same pattern as 2027 with sites flipped.
These rotations ensure that within four years, Arkansas will have hosted and traveled to every SEC team, an adjustment that provides clarity for fans and fairness for teams.
Impact on rivalries and scheduling
The inclusion of Texas as a permanent rival reflects the SEC’s broader realignment and the importance of marquee matchups in drawing national attention.
LSU, a staple of Arkansas football history, remains an annual opponent, while Missouri’s designation highlights the SEC’s commitment to growing the Battle Line Rivalry.
For Arkansas, these rivals represent geographic proximity, recruiting overlap, and historical competitiveness.
The addition of nine conference games also requires strategic non-conference scheduling, as the SEC mandates each team play at least one opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame.
That policy means the Razorbacks’ future schedules will regularly include marquee nonconference contests on top of their rigorous SEC slate, adding to the program’s overall difficulty.
Arkansas in 2025 and Looking Ahead
The Razorbacks enter 2025 under head coach Sam Pittman, seeking to build momentum before the expanded scheduling model takes effect. Arkansas is currently 2-2 overall and 0-1 in SEC play.
The 2025 nonconference schedule already features a notable matchup: a first-ever meeting with Notre Dame. That contest reflects the SEC’s push for its members to test themselves against national competition.
Realignment and scheduling reform continue to reshape college football. For Arkansas, adapting to those changes will be essential both on the field and in recruiting battles across the SEC footprint.
Broader SEC Context
The SEC’s move to nine games places it alongside the Big Ten and Big 12 in terms of schedule length, but with distinctive features such as locked-in annual rivals.
The league announced that designations will be reevaluated every four years, allowing flexibility for competitive balance or shifting priorities.
Other schools have similarly challenging setups. LSU, for example, will face Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M annually. Alabama has Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU as its fixed opponents.
These rivalries, alongside rotating schedules, are expected to fuel television contracts, fan interest, and postseason implications.
Key Takeaways
-
Arkansas’s fixed SEC opponents for 2026-29 will be Texas, LSU, and Missouri.
-
The nine-game model ensures every team plays all SEC opponents home-and-away once every four years.
-
Arkansas must continue scheduling at least one high-profile nonconference opponent annually, adding to the challenge of its future schedules.