DESTIN, Fla. — The SEC has punted again on whether to go to a nine-game schedule, deciding that it will use an eight-game format for 2024, when Oklahoma and Texas join the league, with a decision yet to come on a long-term format.

Divisions will be eliminated, as expected. The exact opponents will be revealed on June 14 in an SEC Network special.

The 2024 schedule will preserve traditional rivalries, commissioner Greg Sankey said. He didn’t specifically confirm that means Texas and Texas A&M will meet in 2024, along with Auburn–Georgia and Alabama–Tennessee, but strongly hinted at it.

“We’re going to honor our traditional rivalries and our traditional games,” Sankey said. “We understand priorities in here.”

The conference has been debating whether to go to nine games for more than a year, and the nine-game format was for a while considered the heavy favorite. But enough resistance emerged over the past few months, and there weren’t enough votes for either the nine-game format or eight-game format on a long-term basis this week at SEC meetings. So the conference went with a stopgap solution.

But Sankey answered “Oh yeah” when asked if a decision on a long-term format will be made by next year. “Nobody wants to go through this every year,” Sankey said.

Sankey was asked about criticism that will come for the SEC not adding a ninth game. He responded by reiterating that a long-term schedule decision has not been made.

“We didn’t add a game while we’re going through a transition,” Sankey said. “If you’re that impatient I’m glad you’re not leading a conference.”

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