What Southwest Airlines’ SEC Football Partnership Means for Travelers

Southwest Airlines returns as the Official Airline of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this fall, announcing new flights to get fans to their favorite college football games.

As part of the union, the low-cost carrier also offers in-flight access to the SEC Network so travelers can follow along in the sky.

Southwest has scheduled as many as 59 flights for 19 games throughout the upcoming college football season this fall. The additions include more seats for a whopping 13 SEC games, including marquee showdowns like Florida at LSU on September 13 and Texas at Georgia on November 15.

Wednesday’s announcement comes on the heels of Southwest announcing it would expand its map to include the beloved SEC destination of Knoxville, Tennessee, beginning in March 2026.

“Southwest Airlines is proud to be back for another year as the official SEC airline. SEC Football brings people together, and Southwest connects people to what matters most to them, so it is the perfect partnership for us to unite fans,” Jennifer Bridie, Vice President of Marketing at Southwest Airlines, said in a statement.

“With more flight options to games across our network, and live access in-flight, we are thrilled fans can cheer on their team in the air or on the ground.”

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse, supplemented by last summers press release announcing the affiliation.

*** July 11, 2024 press release announcing the Southwest Airlines/Southeastern Conference sponsorship agreement ***

Today, Southwest Airlines^® announces a new, multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and SEC Network to be the “Official Airline of the SEC.” The deal—officially launched on July 1—will primarily highlight the athletic contributions to SEC football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, gymnastics, and women’s soccer.

“Southwest Airlines is proud to be joining the SEC roster as the airline of choice and getting sports fanatics to their favorite games with ease,” said Jennifer Bridie, Vice President Marketing Communications & Strategy at Southwest Airlines. “SEC fans have been flying with us for decades, checking two free bags² of gear, rescheduling road games without fees³, and saving flight credits for the year their team finally makes it to the championship. With this unique sponsorship, we’re giving fans more flexibility to join the action as they root for their favorite teams and bringing them new opportunities throughout the season to get to know the Southwest Brand even better.”

Southwest created additional travel opportunities for college football fans eager to cheer on their favorite team at some of the season’s biggest matchups. The airline added new routes and additional service surrounding several SEC-centric showdowns, including USC vs. LSU in the Vegas Kickoff Classic, Alabama at Wisconsin in Week 3, Tennessee at Oklahoma in Week 4, and Georgia at Texas in Week 8.

The sponsorship includes integrating Southwest Airlines on SEC Network programming and within the SEC footprint through SEC Nation, the network’s traveling football pre-game show. Southwest will also activate on-site at SEC FanFare at the football championship in Atlanta and will have a presence at other major SEC championship events, including women’s and men’s basketball.

“The SEC is pleased Southwest Airlines has joined our official sponsor program,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The SEC sponsor program is important to the mission of supporting our now 16 institutions and Southwest Airlines makes stronger an already robust family of sponsors for the Conference. We look forward to Southwest Airlines’ participation in our programming and championship events.”

Even when in the air, SEC fans can watch select matchups throughout the year via the Southwest Inflight Entertainment Portal, which offers free Live TV channels⁴ including ESPN and ABC. Additionally, the carrier plans to surprise Customers with pop-up activations on flights, providing giveaways and fun moments as fans take to the skies.

Southwest also will activate content across SEC Network linear, streaming, and social platforms beginning this college football season. SEC Network and ESPN on-air personality Marty Smith will be featured in Southwest’s social media campaign. His first spot will take flight on launch day, Thursday, July 11.