The SEC is set to transition to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in the 2026 season, and Lane Kiffin addressed the topic during his Tuesday media availability. With each team effectively losing a non-conference or bye week in favor of a more demanding in-league game, Kiffin made it clear he wasn’t interested in voicing complaints about the change, even when prompted.
However, Kiffin’s stance still drew criticism from George Wrighster, who took a shot at the LSU head coach on social media.
“We don’t want to hear Lane Kiffin with a $40M roster complaining about the SEC playing 9 conference games. The Big Ten is the best conference and plays 9 games. LSU fans he is trying to lower expectations because he doesn’t want the smoke,”Wrighster tweeted.
“We don’t want to Hear”: Ex-NFL Star Calls Out Lane Kiffin’s Stance on New SEC Scheduling Format
“We don’t want to Hear”: Ex-NFL Star Calls Out Lane Kiffin’s Stance on New SEC Scheduling Format (Imagn Images)
Kiffin avoided outright complaining, but he did revisit his previous opposition to the nine-game format before the SEC finalized its decision. His main concern centers around the lack of consistency in how College Football Playoff teams are selected.
As Kiffin explained, a 10-2 record is typically enough to secure a playoff spot, whereas a 9-3 mark often falls short. From his perspective, adding another conference game only increases the likelihood of losses, making it more difficult for SEC teams to remain in strong playoff contention and ultimately reach the postseason.
Lane Kiffin Provides Update on Sam Leavitt’s Injury and LSU QB Situation
Lane Kiffin offered a candid update regarding LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, saying that the signal-caller is not expected to return at any point during spring practices.
“I don’t think he will,”Kiffin said. “He’s on crutches now. But maybe. None of this is a surprise. This is the timeline we expected. He had a screw removed yesterday, and everything went well. That was something that, going into it, we were gonna know – that unfortunately, he was gonna miss spring. A lot of it. But that was gonna allow the other guys opportunities.
“I just feel nowadays, you know, it’s a little easier to play quarterback than it used to be years ago. As far as how long you’ve been there, if you look around the country, a lot of people transfer and go play at new places and look at the previous place you’re at. The guy didn’t get there until the summer. So, you know, kind of that went into the decision where I feel like years ago you’ve been really concerned that the quarterback is going to miss your spring. He’s done a great job mentally in the meetings and walk throughs and able to throw some individual before this procedure.”
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Leavitt transferred from Arizona State to LSU and has been working his way back from a Lisfranc ligament injury that cut his previous season short after just six games. The injury occurred in a matchup against the Baylor Bears, requiring surgery and a lengthy recovery.
Leavitt participated in the first six spring sessions, but Kiffin made it clear that his absence now is not viewed as a major setback. Meanwhile, LSU has reinforced its quarterback depth by bringing in transfers Husan Longstreet from USC Trojans and Landen Clark from Elon Phoenix, ensuring the team remains well-equipped at the position heading into the 2026 season.