Once the NCAA approved a 12th regular-season game for college football, you knew the phones would start ringing at places like Louisiana-Monroe.

Any college football coach worth the incentives in his contract hears "extra game" and thinks "extra win." And any athletic director who isn’t itching to make a change at the top of his football program would concur with his coach.

So it’s hardly shocking to see all the hyphens and directional schools on the SEC football schedule for 2006.

Alabama plays Louisiana-Monroe and Florida International. Kentucky plays Texas State, Central Michigan and Louisiana-Monroe. Arkansas plays Utah State, Southeast Missouri State and — you guessed it — Louisiana-Monroe.

But don’t get the wrong idea. Just because so many lower-echelon teams will be coming to an SEC stadium near you this fall, that doesn’t mean conference teams will breeze through their non-conference schedules.

The SEC’s non-conference opponents will range from sure wins to huge challenges. Call it "extreme scheduling."

Take the season openers, for example.

Arkansas will open at home against Southern Cal, which edged the Razorbacks 70-17 last fall. The Trojans lost many outstanding players, but it’s questionable whether they lost 53 points worth.

Tennessee will open against California at home. The Golden Bears will be a consensus top-25 team next fall and probably show up in a few top 10s as well.

Vanderbilt will open against Michigan at Ann Arbor, where — this just in — the Commodores won’t be favored. Kentucky will play at Louisville in its season opener.

The finales will be tougher than the openers for other SEC teams. Florida will close at Florida State, Georgia will be at home against Georgia Tech, and South Carolina will be at Clemson.

Those aren’t the only top-25 candidates on the SEC’s non-conference schedule. West Virginia, which is expected to contend for the national championship, will play Mississippi State in Starkville on Oct. 7. LSU has added Fresno State, which will play in Baton Rouge on Oct. 21.

There’s also an atypical Pac-10 presence on the SEC schedule.

In addition to USC vs. Arkansas and Cal vs. UT, you have Auburn and Washington State playing Sept. 2 in Auburn; LSU will play Arizona at Tiger Stadium on Sept. 9.

Those matchups will have similar themes. The Pac-10 is the most-offensive-minded conference in Division I-A. The SEC is all about defense.

In 2005, seven Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 34 in total offense. Auburn, which had the SEC’s best offense, ranked 37th.

Conversely, nine SEC teams ranked in the top 34 in total defense. Oregon, which led the Pac-10 in total defense, ranked 44th nationally.

Florida probably has the toughest overall schedule in the SEC. Nine of its 12 opponents played in bowl games last season.

Alabama has the easiest non-conference schedule. The Tide will play Hawaii, Louisiana-Monroe, Florida International and Duke. All four had losing records last season.

The addition of a 12th game will benefit every team in the SEC, but not just because it assures them of an extra home game. It also will enhance their chances of a sixth victory, the magic number for a bowl bid.

Although the conference has contractual ties to eight bowls, it qualified only six teams last season.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.