AUBURN, Ala — Auburn will kick off the 2020 season against Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 26, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday.
The SEC released 10-game, conference-only schedules for member schools 40 days before the season openers.
"This a year about adjusting," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. "The teams that adjust are going to have an advantage. Our coaches will start working extremely hard to get prepared. Usually you go into the season and you've got the first three opponents broken down. We'll be playing catch-up really fast along with everybody in our conference the next few weeks."
Auburn travels to Georgia on Oct. 3, then returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Oct. 10 against Arkansas. The Tigers play back-to-back away games at South Carolina on Oct. 17 and at Ole Miss on Oct. 24.
Auburn hosts LSU on Oct. 31.
After six consecutive SEC Saturdays, Auburn will have an open date on Nov. 7 before resuming play at Mississippi State on Nov. 14. The Tigers host Tennessee on Nov. 21, then play the Iron Bowl at Alabama on Nov. 28. Auburn hosts Texas A&M Dec. 5 to conclude the regular season.
Auburn's Sept. 26 game vs. Kentucky will be the Tigers' latest season opener since Sept. 29, 1962, when Auburn debuted with a 22-21 victory vs. Tennessee in Birmingham.
On July 30, the SEC announced that kickoff of the 2020 season would be delayed three weeks to allow its universities to focus on the healthy return of their campus communities and the gradual reintroduction of athletics amid the coronavirus pandemic. The scheduling revision also included the change to conference-only competition, with Auburn adding South Carolina and Tennessee to its previous SEC schedule.
"I think you've got to have an open mind and you've got to be flexible," Malzahn said. "Control what you can control. There are 10 SEC games. I think that gives us an advantage. That's what I told our team.
"You look at the schedule that we've played since we've been here in 2013, I would put it up against anyone. The thing I can tell you is adding two extra games won't be a shock to our system. We're looking at that as an advantage. Some teams that have not had this tough a schedule, I think it's going to be a little bit more challenging for them."
Auburn's 2020 football schedule:
Sept. 26 KENTUCKY
Oct. 3 at Georgia
Oct. 10 ARKANSAS
Oct. 17 at South Carolina
Oct. 24 at Ole Miss
Oct. 31 LSU
Nov. 7 Open
Nov. 14 at Mississippi State
Nov. 21 TENNESSEE
Nov. 28 at Alabama
Dec. 5 TEXAS A&M