With the introduction of a nine-game SEC schedule starting during the 2026 college football season, Auburn will be given a third permanent opponent that the Tigers will face annually. While it's safe to say that the Iron Bowl and the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry are safe from being taken away, who the Tigers' third opponent will be is up in the air.
The Athletic asked each SEC fan base to vote on who they want to see as their three opponents on every year's football schedule. It was clear that Auburn fans don't want Alabama and Georgia to go away, as 99 percent voted to keep the Crimson Tide on the schedule while 97 percent voted for the Bulldogs as well.
When it comes to the third opponent, that is when it gets interesting. Auburn fans are extremely undecided on that, as third-place Florida received only 35 percent of the fans' votes. Sure, the rivalry with the Gators was great until the annual series was taken away in 2002, but for newer generations, there isn't much history between the Tigers and Florida.
Even more interesting is that Mississippi State (27 percent) received more support as Auburn's third opponent than LSU (24 percent). Maybe the fact that the Tigers have historically dominated the series against the Bulldogs helped sway that vote, but as I pointed out when writing who I think Auburn's third opponent should be, I pointed out that for many Auburn fans who live in the Birmingham area, getting to Starkville is easier than other places in the SEC.
It's intriguing that Auburn fans are hesitant about the annual game against the Bayou Bengals, given the crazy series' history.
As for the other 10 SEC schools, Auburn fans are lukewarm at best about them being the third opponent, as none of them received more than 10 percent of the votes.
As far as who wants to see the Tigers every season, 98 percent of Alabama fans want the Iron Bowl to continue, 96 percent of Georgia fans said yes.