Atlanta’s SEC Championship Game Set to End After 2026

On November 9, college football leaders announced a 24-team College Football Playoff beginning next season, bringing an end to championship contests in the Power Four, among them the SEC title game. The 2026 matchup in Atlanta will be the SEC Championship Game’s last. The change follows ESPN’s agreement to revise its contract to add 11 playoff games.

The expanded playoff will grant automatic berths to the four major conference champions and the top-ranked Group of Six champion. A selection panel will choose 19 more teams. The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes, while campus venues will host the opening two rounds beginning in the second weekend of December.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said the change would create more opportunities for student-athletes and universities, reward competitive excellence and challenging schedules, and give fans greater access to playoff games. Peach Bowl president and CEO David Epps said Atlanta would remain involved in the postseason, with the bowl focused on hosting quarterfinal and semifinal games.

The SEC began staging its title contest in 1992, having grown to 12 teams and split into East and West. After the first two games were held in Birmingham, the event moved to Atlanta in 1994 and has remained there. In 2017, the venue changed from the Georgia Dome to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The final game is scheduled for December 5, 2026, at 4 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Epps said the Peach Bowl would work to keep Atlanta playing a major role in deciding the national champion.