One of the major sticking points regarding the SEC potentially adding a ninth conference football game could soon be eliminated, according to a report late Wednesday by The Athletic.

According to the report, ESPN could increase its annual payout to the SEC in exchange for an expansion of the conference schedule. No formal offer has yet been made, but it is believed ESPN and parent company Disney would kick in an additional $50-80 million annually on top of the current $811 million broadcast deal that began last season.

The SEC has continued to play eight conference games each season since 1992, when the league first expanded from 10 to 12 teams and split into divisions. There have been discussions about adding a ninth game in recent years — particularly after Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC to create a 16-team league — but those conversations have largely stalled over both money and fears that doing so would result in fewer teams reaching the College Football Playoff.

The Big Ten and Big 12 play nine conference games each year, as did the Pac-12 prior to dissolving after the 2023 season. The SEC and ACC continue to play only eight games.

Proponents for adding a ninth game — a group that includes SEC commissioner Greg Sankey — argue that it would add more attractive matchups during the regular season, allow traditional rivalry games (such as Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee) to continue each year and increase the likelihood players would face each conference opponent both home and away during their career. For example, Alabama will play at Georgia this season for the first time since 2015.

The SEC is committed to a nine-game schedule for 2025, but a decision on schedule formatting beyond this season has not yet been reached.