Oklahoma to play LSU in Tiger Stadium in first SEC season

The Southeastern Conference has released the 2024 conference schedules during the debut season for Texas and Oklahoma, and there’s a notable addition to the LSU schedule.

LSU will host Oklahoma in Tiger Stadium during the 2024 season, the conference revealed.

The two programs most recently faced off in the 2019 Peach Bowl as part of the College Football Playoffs. LSU knocked off the Sooners in a 63-28 win to reach the National Championship Game against Clemson.

SEC sticking with 8-game schedule (and no divisions) in 2024

During the first year of Texas and Oklahoma in the SEC, the league announced it would stay put with an eight-game conference schedule.

On June 1, the SEC also announced it would be doing away with the SEC West and SEC East for one season as school and conference officials determined a long term plan for both scheduling and divisions.

“We have been engaged in planning for the entry of Oklahoma and Texas into the SEC since the summer of 2021, but the change of the membership date from 2025 to 2024 creates scheduling complexities that can better be managed with a one-year schedule,” Sankey said in a statement.

“Creating a one-year schedule will provide a longer on-ramp to manage football scheduling around existing non-conference commitments of our members. It will also provide additional time to understand the impact of an expanded College Football Playoff and engage with our media partners as we determine the appropriate long-term plan for SEC football scheduling.”

The schedule format was approved by a vote of league presidents and chancellors following a recommendation from the league’s Athletics Directors during the spring meetings.

While SEC teams will not play nine conference games in 2024, they will have to face nine Power 5 conference teams.

In addition to conference games, league teams must also play one game against an opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 or a major independent during the 2024 season.

LSU AD Scott Woodward stands firm on 9-game push

When it comes to LSU, both head coach Brian Kelly and Athletics Director Scott Woodward have been vocal about their push to move to a nine-game SEC schedule, which would leave just three non-conference games for each team.

“I think it will and I think it’s just a matter of it working out,” Woodward said. “In my belief, it’s something to be discussed and gotten too. I’ve been a big supporter of nine games all along and believed in it. But there’s some things to resolve and things to get going and we’ll eventually get there. The new members don’t come until 2024 so we have time. And I just think it’ll be discussed and done properly at the end of the day.”

One reason Woodward is in favor of expanding the conference schedule to nine games is more big-time matchups. Swapping out non-Power 5 opponent for even a median SEC opponent is a better draw for fans and students who might be disengaged with blowouts.

Plus, the chance to have more headlining matchups like Alabama-LSU, Georgia–Tennessee and so on on the schedule is enticing.

It comes down to something Kelly said about his decision to take the job, Woodward said.

“I can’t speak for the people that are just dead set for the eight, I don’t think it’s as many as people think,” Woodward said. “But they have points that hey, it’s tough to get bowl eligible, it’s tough to compete in our league, which is a meat grinder — and I understand that. At the end of the day, I think my coach, coach Kelly, our coach at LSU really said it best: ‘Look, I came here to play the best and be with the best and I want to give the fans the best.’ And I think it makes even more sense now that we’re expanding the playoffs. To have tough, good games and you can lose two games and still make the playoff.”

And playing games against tough conference opponents becomes more palatable with a more open playoff field come expansion in 2024-25. Woodward suspects there could be a future where a three-loss team would be making a case to get in the field.

If that could be the reality, he sees no reason not to up the ante and play more SEC games.

“Oh there’s no question they are. And what’s good about them is, there might even be a three loss team to get in the playoffs — you might make a case for it. But definitely a two-loss team and with it going to 12, I just think there’s better and more opportunity and there’s not like this cause where if you lose a game, you’re out. You can lose a game or two and still be very competitive and good at the end and get in the playoffs.”