The coronavirus pandemic forced the Southeastern Conference to alter its 2020 football schedules, with every team given a 10-game slate consisting solely of league opposition.
There was both normalcy and guarded optimism Wednesday afternoon as the SEC released its 2021 schedules. The SEC was able to play 68 of 70 regular-season contests this past season, with only the Georgia-Vanderbilt and Ole Miss-Texas A&M matchups unable to take place due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Alabama's win over Florida in the SEC title game on Dec. 19 had to be accompanied by three regular-season finales to make up for postponements.
"We are proud to have completed the 2020 football season under unique circumstances and will now focus on playing the 2021 football season as scheduled," league commissioner Greg Sankey said in a release. "Circumstances around the COVID-19 virus will continue to guide our decision-making should any adjustments need to be made."
With nonconference showdowns returning to the league lineup later this year, each SEC team will play 12 games over 13 weekends, thus getting just one open date.
The opening Saturday of the season will be Sept. 4, and it will contain instant games of interest such as Georgia-Clemson at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Alabama-Miami at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Intriguing matchups set for Sept. 11 include Texas at Arkansas, Pittsburgh at Tennessee, and Colorado versus Texas A&M in Denver, while Auburn's trip to Penn State and Alabama's league opener at Florida headline the Sept. 18 lineup.
Last year's league-only schedule eliminated in-state rivalries such as Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech and Kentucky-Louisville, but all three of those return this season and will transpire the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.
Georgia photo by Perry McIntyre / Georgia and Georgia Tech are scheduled to play in 2021 after last season's matchup had to be scratched due to the coronavirus. This year's game will be held in Atlanta, which was the site of their most recent meeting in 2019.2021 SEC FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
ALABAMA
Sept. 4 vs. Miami (Atlanta)
Sept. 11 MERCER
Sept. 18 at Florida
Sept. 25 SOUTHERN MISS
Oct. 2 OLE MISS
Oct. 9 at Texas A&M
Oct. 16 at Mississippi State
Oct. 23 TENNESSEE
Oct. 30 Open Date
Nov. 6 LSU
Nov. 13 NEW MEXICO STATE
Nov. 20 ARKANSAS
Nov. 27 at Auburn
ARKANSAS
Sept. 4 RICE
Sept. 11 TEXAS
Sept. 18 GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Sept. 25 vs. TEXAS A&M (Arlington)
Oct. 2 at Georgia
Oct. 9 at Ole Miss
Oct. 16 AUBURN
Oct. 23 UAPB
Oct. 30 Open Date
Nov. 6 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 13 at LSU
Nov. 20 at Alabama
Nov. 27 MISSOURI (Little Rock)
AUBURN
Sept. 4 AKRON
Sept. 11 ALABAMA STATE
Sept. 18 at Penn State
Sept. 25 GEORGIA STATE
Oct. 2 at LSU
Oct. 9 GEORGIA
Oct. 16 at Arkansas
Oct. 23 Open Date
Oct. 30 OLE MISS
Nov. 6 at Texas A&M
Nov. 13 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 20 at South Carolina
Nov. 27 ALABAMA
FLORIDA
Sept. 4 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Sept. 11 at South Florida
Sept. 18 ALABAMA
Sept. 25 TENNESSEE
Oct. 2 at Kentucky
Oct. 9 VANDERBILT
Oct. 16 at LSU
Oct. 23 Open Date
Oct. 30 vs. GEORGIA (Jacksonville)
Nov. 6 at South Carolina
Nov. 13 SAMFORD
Nov. 20 at Missouri
Nov. 27 FLORIDA STATE
GEORGIA
Sept. 4 vs. Clemson (Charlotte)
Sept. 11 UAB
Sept. 18 SOUTH CAROLINA
Sept. 25 at Vanderbilt
Oct. 2 ARKANSAS
Oct. 9 at Auburn
Oct. 16 KENTUCKY
Oct. 23 Open Date
Oct. 30 vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Nov. 6 MISSOURI
Nov. 13 at Tennessee
Nov. 20 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
Nov. 27 at Georgia Tech
KENTUCKY
Sept. 4 ULM
Sept. 11 MISSOURI
Sept. 18 UTC
Sept. 25 at South Carolina
Oct. 2 FLORIDA
Oct. 9 LSU
Oct. 16 at Georgia
Oct. 23 Open Date
Oct. 30 at Mississippi State
Nov. 6 TENNESSEE
Nov. 13 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 20 NEW MEXICO STATE
Nov. 27 at Louisville
LSU
Sept. 4 at UCLA
Sept. 11 McNEESE STATE
Sept. 18 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Sept. 25 at Mississippi State
Oct. 2 AUBURN
Oct. 9 at Kentucky
Oct. 16 FLORIDA
Oct. 23 at Ole Miss
Oct. 30 Open Date
Nov. 6 at Alabama
Nov. 13 ARKANSAS
Nov. 20 ULM
Nov. 27 TEXAS A&M
OLE MISS
Sept. 6 vs. Louisville (Atlanta)
Sept. 11 AUSTIN PEAY
Sept. 18 TULANE
Sept. 25 Open Date
Oct. 2 at Alabama
Oct. 9 ARKANSAS
Oct. 16 at Tennessee
Oct. 23 LSU
Oct. 30 at Auburn
Nov. 6 LIBERTY
Nov. 13 TEXAS A&M
Nov. 20 VANDERBILT
Nov. 27 at Mississippi State
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Sept. 4 LOUISIANA TECH
Sept. 11 NORTH CAROLINA STATE
Sept. 18 at Memphis
Sept. 25 LSU
Oct. 2 at Texas A&M
Oct. 9 Open Date
Oct. 16 ALABAMA
Oct. 23 at Vanderbilt
Oct. 30 KENTUCKY
Nov. 6 at Arkansas
Nov. 13 at Auburn
Nov. 20 TENNESSEE STATE
Nov. 27 OLE MISS
MISSOURI
Sept. 4 CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Sept. 11 at Kentucky
Sept. 18 SE MISSOURI STATE
Sept. 25 at Boston College
Oct. 2 TENNESSEE
Oct. 9 NORTH TEXAS
Oct. 16 TEXAS A&M
Oct. 23 Open Date
Oct. 30 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 6 at Georgia
Nov. 13 SOUTH CAROLINA
Nov. 20 FLORIDA
Nov. 27 at Arkansas (Little Rock)
SOUTH CAROLINA
Sept. 4 EASTERN ILLINOIS
Sept. 11 at East Carolina
Sept. 18 at Georgia
Sept. 25 KENTUCKY
Oct. 2 TROY
Oct. 9 at Tennessee
Oct. 16 VANDERBILT
Oct. 23 at Texas A&M
Oct. 30 Open Date
Nov. 6 FLORIDA
Nov. 13 at Missouri
Nov. 20 AUBURN
Nov. 27 CLEMSON
TENNESSEE
Sept. 4 BOWLING GREEN
Sept. 11 PITTSBURGH
Sept. 18 TENNESSEE TECH
Sept. 25 at Florida
Oct. 2 at Missouri
Oct. 9 SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 16 OLE MISS
Oct. 23 at Alabama
Oct. 30 Open Date
Nov. 6 at Kentucky
Nov. 13 GEORGIA
Nov. 20 SOUTH ALABAMA
Nov. 27 VANDERBILT
TEXAS A&M
Sept. 4 KENT STATE
Sept. 11 vs. Colorado (Denver)
Sept. 18 NEW MEXICO
Sept. 25 vs. Arkansas (Arlington)
Oct. 2 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Oct. 9 ALABAMA
Oct. 16 at Missouri
Oct. 23 SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 30 Open Date
Nov. 6 AUBURN
Nov. 13 at Ole Miss
Nov. 20 PRAIRIE VIEW
Nov. 27 at LSU
VANDERBILT
Sept. 4 EAST TENNESSEE STATE
Sept. 11 at Colorado State
Sept. 18 STANFORD
Sept. 25 GEORGIA
Oct. 2 UCONN
Oct. 9 at Florida
Oct. 16 at South Carolina
Oct. 23 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Oct. 30 MISSOURI
Nov. 6 Open Date
Nov. 13 KENTUCKY
Nov. 20 at Ole Miss
Nov. 27 at Tennessee