SEC Basketball Adds Permanent Opponents to Conference Schedule

Beginning next season, the Southeastern Conference will add three permanent opponents to each team's basketball schedule.

The conference introduced the new model at the SEC Meetings on Thursday that will take effect in 2015-16. Under the new format, every SEC program will face all 13 teams once before playing their three permanent opponents a second time. To fill out the 18-game conference schedule, the last two SEC games will be scheduled on a rotating basis.

Most of the permanent games appear to be picked based off traditional divisional rivals or geographical location. For Avery Johnson, his Crimson Tide will face arch-rival Auburn along with the two SEC West schools they've built a long history with.

Permanent Opponents

Alabama – Auburn / Mississippi State / LSU

Arkansas – Missouri / Texas A&M / LSU

Auburn – Alabama / Ole Miss / Georgia

Florida – Kentucky / Georgia / Vanderbilt

Georgia – South Carolina / Florida / Auburn

Kentucky – Florida / Tennessee / Vanderbilt

LSU – Texas A&M / Alabama / Arkansas

Ole Miss – Mississippi State / Auburn / Missouri

Mississippi State – Ole Miss / Alabama / South Carolina

Missouri – Arkansas / Texas A&M / Ole Miss

South Carolina – Georgia / Tennessee / Mississippi State