LSU coach Lane Kiffin says it is a shame that one of the SEC's biggest games is going away, even if only for a year.

LSU and Alabama have played every season since 1964. They will not meet in 2027 because the matchup was not named a permanent rivalry when the SEC moved to a nine-game conference schedule.

The teams will play again in 2028 and at least once every two years after that.

'It all comes down to money'

"I think that's just sad," Kiffin said Monday. "And I understand, so I'm not being critical. All the decisions, usually, I think all of them probably really come down to money, whether that's the realignments, whether that's the rivalries."

He said college football has changed for the better in some ways. But he added that many people wish rivalries and conferences had stayed the way they were.

"Unfortunately it's where we are that really doesn't seem like much is going to be protected when it comes to TV contracts and money and other people's ideas," Kiffin said.

Who each school kept

Alabama's three permanent rivals are Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee. LSU's are Texas A&M, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

The SEC said it tried to keep as many historic rivalries as it could while also weighing competitive fairness and geography.

The LSU-Alabama game became a true rivalry in the eyes of many fans after Nick Saban left LSU and later took over at Alabama. Kiffin worked for Saban as Alabama's offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016.

One more big one this Saturday

This year's game is in Baton Rouge on Saturday with both teams ranked in the top 15. It will kick off in the afternoon instead of at night.

Kiffin said last week he was shocked by the time slot. He joked that the change might be meant to give LSU less of a home-field advantage.