The 35-year-old SEC Championship game will be played for its final time in December as college football moves to a 24-team playoff format.
The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that the 2026 edition will be its last. This coincides with news that the NCAA is moving to having 24 teams in the postseason for the highest level of college football, beginning in 2027.
Other conferences including the ACC, the Big Ten and the Big 12 will eliminate their championship games after 2026, too.
The SEC Championship has been played in Atlanta annually since 1994 after the first two games were played in Birmingham. This year’s game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 5.
The Georgia Bulldogs have appeared in 13 of the games, winning six of them including the last two.
Head coach Kirby Smart said he expected to see the game go away with College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion likely.
“It's a great historic game,” Smart said Monday. “It's great for the players, the programs, the fans. The location has been awesome for us. The venue is incredible. All those things are awesome, but times they are a-changing. As they change, you've got to adapt with it."
Smart is 4-4 in his time as Georgia’s head coach.
Georgia is currently in position to play in the final chapter of the SEC Championship as they’re in first place in the SEC. The Bulldogs can clinch a spot in the championship with a win against Missouri Saturday.
Kickoff from Sanford Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. It will be broadcast on ABC.
