The Big Ten and SEC are currently in the early stages of discussing a potential scheduling agreement that could have a significant impact on the landscape of college football. The purpose of this agreement would be to organize a series of nonconference games between teams from these two powerhouse conferences, ultimately solidifying their dominance and financial strength within the FBS.
According to sources, the proposed agreement could involve as many as 12 to 16 high-profile “challenge” games, similar to the blockbuster matchups seen in college basketball. Teams such as Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU are expected to be among the key participants, drawing significant interest from media rights holders for television purposes.
The potential revenue-generating power of matchups like Texas-Michigan and Alabama-Wisconsin has caught the attention of conference administrators, highlighting the financial benefits of such agreements. With ESPN holding the SEC media rights and the Big Ten media rights divided between Fox, NBC, and CBS, there is a great deal of interest in exploring the possibilities of this collaboration.
While the discussions are still in the early stages and financial terms have not yet been disclosed, there is a shared desire to continue exploring this opportunity. Given the financial challenges facing major college sports, finding new ways to generate revenue has become increasingly important.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, known for his background in television, is particularly interested in creating more meaningful games through this agreement. The potential for such an agreement to secure spots in an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff is also a driving factor, with conferences having until December 2025 to present a new format to rights holder ESPN for the 2026 season and beyond.
One of the key advantages of these “challenge” games is that they would enhance schedule strength without penalizing teams for losses, ultimately benefiting all parties involved. Both the Big Ten and SEC seem open to the idea, especially given the expanded playoff format that allows for more flexibility in team selection.
While there are still logistical details to be worked out, including potentially moving to nine conference games for the SEC to match the Big Ten, the potential benefits of this agreement are significant. The new nonconference games would likely be incorporated into media deals set to expire in 2030 for the Big Ten and 2034 for the SEC, raising concerns among other FBS conferences about a possible divide.
Ultimately, the goal of this proposed scheduling agreement is to create more high-quality content for fans, especially as the college football season approaches its conclusion. While there have been discussions about expanding the playoff even further with automatic qualifiers, the SEC and Big Ten are currently focused on solidifying their collaboration and common interests moving forward.
