The Southeastern Conference isn't scheduled to kick off its 10-game football season until Sept. 26, but Friday evening certainly provided some winners and losers.
Needing the addition of two extra cross-divisional games for each program to complete the league schedules that have been altered by the coronavirus-related cancellations of nonconference games, the league revealed those selections Friday night on the SEC Network.
"We made every effort to create a schedule that is as competitive as possible and builds on the existing eight conference games that had already been scheduled for 2020," league commissioner Greg Sankey said in a release. "This schedule is a one-year anomaly that we have developed under unique circumstances presented by the impact of COVID-19."
Missouri's schedule went from competitive to incredibly competitive, as the league added a home game against Alabama, No. 3 in the Amway coaches preseason poll, and a trip to No. 5 LSU for Eli Drinkwitz's Tigers. Since joining the SEC in 2012, Mizzou is 0-4 against Alabama and LSU by the combined score of 165-40.
Tennessee had a pair of preseason top-15 teams added to its schedule, with the Volunteers getting a home date with No. 13 Texas A&M and a journey to No. 11 Auburn. The Vols and Aggies have met three times but never inside Neyland Stadium, but Tennessee has a lot of tradition with Auburn, an annual rival from 1956 to 1991.
Auburn had won six straight series meetings against the Vols until Tennessee pulled a 30-24 upset at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2018.
"Let's gooooo!!!" Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt posted on Twitter after learning of the additions.
Alabama and Georgia, which is No. 4 in the preseason poll, received much more favorable draws from the league office. Nick Saban's Crimson Tide landed a home game against Kentucky in addition to the trip to Missouri, while Kirby Smart's Bulldogs added a home game against Mississippi State and a trek to Arkansas, which has lost 19 consecutive conference games.
The additions of Georgia and Florida to the Arkansas slate resulted in Razorbacks athletic director Hunter Yurachek claiming, "We now have the most challenging schedule in the history of college football."
The SEC plans to announce the dates for all contests within the next two weeks.
Earlier Friday, the SEC revealed its initial guidelines to manage COVID-19 for its 10-game season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.
Alabama photo by Kent Gidley / Alabama football coach Nick Saban poses with the Crimson Tide's elephant mascot, Big Al, on May 20 on campus in Tuscaloosa, with both wearing face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.EAST VS. WEST
The cross-divisional pairings for each SEC member for the upcoming 10-game season:ALABAMAPreviously scheduled: vs. Georgia, at TennesseeAdded opponents: vs. Kentucky, at MissouriARKANSASPreviously scheduled: vs. Tennessee, at MissouriAdded opponents: vs. Georgia, at FloridaAUBURNPreviously scheduled: vs. Kentucky, at GeorgiaAdded opponents: vs. Tennessee, at South CarolinaFLORIDAPreviously scheduled: vs. LSU, at Ole MissAdded opponents: vs. Arkansas, at Texas A&MGEORGIAPreviously scheduled: vs. Auburn, at AlabamaAdded opponents: vs. Mississippi State, at ArkansasKENTUCKYPreviously scheduled: vs. Mississippi State, at AuburnAdded opponents: vs. Ole Miss, at AlabamaLSUPreviously scheduled: vs. South Carolina, at FloridaAdded opponents: vs. Missouri, at VanderbiltMISSISSIPPI STATEPreviously scheduled: vs. Missouri, at KentuckyAdded opponents: vs. Vanderbilt, at GeorgiaMISSOURIPreviously scheduled: vs. Arkansas, at Mississippi StateAdded opponents: vs. Alabama, at LSUOLE MISSPreviously scheduled: vs. Florida, at VanderbiltAdded opponents: vs. South Carolina, at KentuckySOUTH CAROLINAPreviously scheduled: vs. Texas A&M, at LSUAdded opponents: vs. Auburn, at Ole MissTENNESSEEPreviously scheduled: vs. Alabama, at ArkansasAdded opponents: vs. Texas A&M, at AuburnTEXAS A&MPreviously scheduled: vs. Vanderbilt, at South CarolinaAdded opponents: vs. Florida, at TennesseeVANDERBILTPreviously scheduled: vs. Ole Miss, at Texas A&MAdded opponents: vs. LSU, at Mississippi State