ATHENS — Georgia ran through its 2025 schedule, beating every team it saw on the way to a 12-1 mark. The Bulldogs avenged their lone loss against Alabama, beating the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game.

To do that once again in 2026, now that we know the schedule, would be extremely impressive.

The SEC announced the full 2026 schedules on Thursday night. Georgia opens the year against Tennessee State on Sept. 5 in Sanford Stadium.

Georgia football 2026 schedule

All three of Georgia’s nonconference games come at home and bookend the schedule. The rival Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets return to Athens on Nov. 28 to close out the regular season.

But one notable difference is that Georgia will face an SEC foe the week before Georgia Tech, rather than some nonconference cupcake.

That’s because in 2026, the SEC will expand to nine conference games. All four Power Four leagues will now play the same number of conference games.

One quick look at Georgia’s schedule and it’s easy to see why Kirby Smart raised some concern about the conference slate just minutes after the SEC championship game.

“Those two teams were beat up tonight. That was the ninth game of the year. We’re looking at next year having another game,” Smart said following this year’s SEC championship.“I mean, the coaches in our league are concerned about it, very concerned about it. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t speak my piece and say it’s concerning.”

Georgia begins SEC play on Sept. 19 with a trip to Arkansas. The Razorbacks were the lone team to not win a conference game this season and will be led by new head coach Ryan Silverfield. Arkansas is one of four SEC teams Georgia will face that will have a new head coach.

The grind of the SEC for Georgia begins the very next week, as the Bulldogs welcome the Oklahoma Sooners into Athens. It will be the first time the two teams have met since the iconic 2018 Rose Bowl and Oklahoma’s first-ever trip to Athens. Both teams made this year’s College Football Playoff.

A week after that, Georgia hosts Vanderbilt in a game that has gotten a lot spicier since the Commodores flipped Jared Curtis. Should the 5-star quarterback start that game for Vanderbilt, who went 10-2 this past season, that game should attract a lot of eyeballs.

After consecutive home games against top-15 teams in the final College Football Playoff rankings, Georgia goes on the road to face Alabama. The two teams split their meetings this most recent season. Georgia lost in 2024 when it went to Alabama.

Perhaps the trickiest game for Georgia comes next week against a new-look Auburn program led by Alex Golesh. After three-straight marquee games, Georgia heads home to face a rival it has dominated of late. And like this past season, Auburn gets an extra week of rest to prepare for Georgia. The Tigers’ bye week falls right before their visit to Athens.

Georgia’s off week comes on Oct. 24, just before its game against rival Florida. The game, set for Halloween, will be played in Atlanta this year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party moves indoors because of construction in Jacksonville, Florida.

Compared to the early portion of the schedule, Georgia’s November slate seems less thorny. Georgia goes to Ole Miss on Nov. 7. It will be interesting to see how the Rebels evolve post-Lane Kiffin, as Pete Golding is now in charge. Georgia could see Ole Miss even sooner, as a potential meeting in the College Football Playoff looms.

Georgia’s final home SEC game comes against Missouri, with the Tigers visiting on Nov. 14. Georgia and Missouri have not played since the 2023 season.

The last SEC game includes a late-season visit to South Carolina. The Nov. 21 trip to Columbia will be the fourth time in 77 meetings that Georgia and South Carolina play in the month of November. That likely means the game won’t feel like it’s being played on the surface of the sun.

It’ll once again be a difficult schedule for Georgia. The Bulldogs will face five opponents that finished in the top-25 of the final College Football Playoff rankings. Auburn and Florida both have an extra week to prepare for Georgia.

Smart should once again have his hands full trying to construct a team that can handle such a difficult slate.

But Georgia has won back-to-back SEC championships and if there’s a team that has earned the benefit of the doubt to navigate its conference slate, it’s the Georgia Bulldogs.