The Southeastern Conference is set to officially announce each member’s three permanent rivals on Tuesday as part of its move to a nine-game conference schedule. However, one college football expert is reportedly giving fans an inside look into which fellow SEC teams Auburn will play on an annual basis beginning in 2026.
Chris Low of On3 shared on Monday the three protected rivals each SEC team will have for the next four seasons. As expected, Alabama and Georgia will remain on Auburn’s schedule, with Vanderbilt taking the third available slot.
Vanderbilt has been a team linked to Auburn’s third slot since the SEC announced its decision to move to a nine-game conference schedule format. Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY suggested that adding Vanderbilt to Auburn’s permanent rotation would be “fair” for the Tigers, considering Auburn’s tough draw of having two of the sport’s most successful programs in recent memory, Alabama and Georgia, as primary and secondary rivals.
Auburn trails in its overall series with Alabama, 51-37-1, and has lost five straight games in the series. Georgia has created a separation from Auburn due to its recent dominance, and holds a 65-56-8 series lead. The Tigers and Commodores are tied at 22-22-1, and Auburn has a chance to jump back in front of the series lead on Nov. 8 in Nashville.
Here is a look at the rest of the SEC’s projected permanent rivals according to Low.
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