The 2010 Southeastern Conference football season began on Thursday, September 2, 2010 with South Carolina defeating Southern Miss on ESPN.

Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin left after his first season in Knoxville for Southern Cal.

Kiffin was replaced by Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley.

As agreed on in 2008, Brooks was replaced by his offensive coordinator Joker Phillips, who began his first season as head coach on September 4 against archrival Louisville.

In July 2010, Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson unexpectedly retired.