The Southeastern Conference is changing again, and this time the impact lands squarely on Oklahoma’s doorstep. Beginning in 2026, the SEC will move from an eight-game to a nine-game conference schedule. That move comes with an important wrinkle: each team will now be assigned three permanent rivals that they’ll play every season, while the other six conference games rotate.
On the surface, this looks like a win for college football fans. More conference games mean more marquee matchups, fewer meaningless Saturdays, and a chance for every SEC school to visit every other stadium within a four-year cycle. But for programs like Oklahoma, still new to the SEC gauntlet, this scheduling shift is a double-edged sword.
It guarantees one fewer “tune-up” game against non-conference opponents and cements three matchups that could either help Oklahoma build tradition—or box the Sooners into a brutal annual schedule that leaves little room for error.
And that’s why the choice of permanent rivals matters more than most people think.
Rival No. 1: A No-Brainer in Texas
The easiest decision here isn’t up for debate: Texas. The Red River Rivalry is not just one of the best rivalries in college football; it’s one of the most important rivalries in all of sports. The SEC prides itself on tradition, and it would be absurd for the league to tamper with Oklahoma-Texas. The conference knows better.
OU and Texas will continue to meet annually in Dallas, and that’s the foundation of Oklahoma’s three permanent rivals. No objections there.
Rival No. 2: Missouri Makes Sense, Even If It’s Not Sexy
The second rival is where things get trickier. History suggests Missouri. OU and Mizzou share a Big 8 and Big 12 past, and the Tigers still remember decades of getting smacked around by the Sooners. Missouri fans, as last year’s game in Columbia proved, view Oklahoma as a measuring-stick opponent.
The problem? Most OU fans don’t feel the same way. A 67–25–5 all-time record tells you this hasn’t exactly been a rivalry of equals. Still, the SEC needs to balance things out, and Missouri is one of the few logical choices. Both schools are recent additions compared to the rest of the league. Neither has a protected “must-play” SEC rivalry beyond one or two obvious choices.
For practical reasons, Missouri probably ends up on Oklahoma’s slate every year. It won’t electrify Sooner Nation, but it will stick.
Rival No. 3: The Real Debate
The third rival is where things get fascinating—and where the SEC could shape Oklahoma’s identity for the next generation.
Do you create a fabricated rivalry with LSU, one of the most electric atmospheres in college football? The SEC has scheduled Oklahoma against LSU in back-to-back season finales, which feels like a hint. But let’s be clear: that’s not a rivalry. That’s the SEC experimenting.
Do you tie Oklahoma to Arkansas, a border-state school and the closest SEC campus geographically? That one might actually make the most sense. Arkansas, like Oklahoma, doesn’t have three obvious permanent rivals. Proximity breeds natural tension, and the two fan bases overlap in recruiting territories. The seeds of a genuine rivalry could sprout quickly.
Or do you shoot for pure spectacle and push for Alabama? Sure, last year’s win over the Tide was fun. Sure, Tuscaloosa and Norman trading visits would be epic. But do you really want to guarantee yourself Texas and Alabama every single season in the nation’s toughest league? That’s not rivalry; that’s masochism.
Why Arkansas Is the Best Long-Term Play
If I’m making the call, Oklahoma’s third rival should be Arkansas. It checks the boxes that matter most:
- Geography: Fayetteville is the closest SEC campus to Norman. That proximity means traveling fans, recruiting overlap, and regional tension.
- Parity: Unlike Alabama or Georgia, Arkansas is beatable. That doesn’t mean easy. The Hogs have plenty of fight in them, but it’s a matchup that gives OU a fairer annual path through a brutal SEC slate.
- Tradition-building potential: Rivalries aren’t just inherited; sometimes they’re created. With Oklahoma in a new league, building a fresh annual showdown with a nearby opponent could pay dividends for decades.
LSU brings glitz, Alabama brings gravitas, but Arkansas brings sustainability. And in the SEC, sustainability matters.
The Hidden Cost: Fewer Non-Conference Showdowns
The move to nine games also trims Oklahoma’s non-conference schedule from four games to three. That might sound minor, but it’s significant. The Sooners have long used non-conference games to test themselves against national brands—Ohio State, USC, Michigan, and, of course, Nebraska.
Now, with only three slots to fill and one required to be against another Power Four opponent, Oklahoma’s ability to schedule those splashy series shrinks. The likelihood of renewing the Nebraska rivalry every year? Slimmer. The chances of an annual Bedlam revival against Oklahoma State? Even less.
That’s the hidden cost of the SEC’s decision: by strengthening the conference slate, it weakens the opportunity for cross-conference nostalgia.
Why This Rule Is Ultimately Good for Oklahoma
Even with the challenges, I’ll admit it: the new SEC model is good for Oklahoma. It’s good for recruiting, because every player’s family will get to see them play within a four-year cycle. It’s good for fans, who get more reasons to travel and more opportunities to pack Owen Field with visiting fan bases. And it’s good for the sport, because it reduces cupcake games and raises the stakes in November.
For Oklahoma, the key is making sure the permanent rivals are manageable. Texas is locked. Missouri is inevitable. That third slot is the swing factor. Pick Alabama, and you’re signing up for annual heartbreak. Pick LSU, and you’re chasing fireworks but no tradition. Pick Arkansas, and you’re building something real.
Final Thought
The SEC didn’t just tweak its schedule on Thursday—it reshaped the future of Oklahoma football. Rivalries define programs. They create tradition, inspire passion, and, yes, determine wins and losses.
If the SEC is smart, it’ll pair Oklahoma with Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas. That gives the Sooners one rivalry they can’t lose (Texas), one rivalry they’ll tolerate (Missouri), and one rivalry they can build (Arkansas).
In the new nine-game SEC world, that’s the best path forward.
Matt Hofeld is a college football analyst and contributor covering the SEC. Follow him for more Oklahoma and conference-wide analysis throughout the 2025 season.
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