How SEC scheduling changes could affect South Carolina’s future nonconference games

Ben Portnoy
C. Rush/Special to The State

Scheduling format changes are coming to the Southeastern Conference, but it might not be as imminent as initially believed.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey suggested on Monday at the league’s annual media days event that possible adjustments to the current scheduling format might be stalled for, among other reasons, hangups related to tiebreakers.

“The list of issues — tiebreakers one — the number of games and what that means from a scheduling standpoint, the imbalance around nine games versus the comfort with eight games,” Sankey said of what’s held up discussions so far. “What happens with non-conference schedules? We have a requirement that that ninth game right now be among an autonomy five-type opponent. How do we dispose of or maintain that particular policy?”

In the current eight-game conference format, South Carolina plays its six SEC East divisional opponents annually in addition to one permanent opponent (Texas A&M) and one rotating team from the SEC West.

While the SEC hasn’t finalized what is expected to be a division-less model, the prevailing thought in college football circles is that it would move from an eight-game conference slate to a nine-game schedule. That format would include three permanent SEC opponents and six rotating contests.

Should that happen, South Carolina — among others — would need to adjust its current nonconference schedule over the coming decade.

The Gamecocks have full nonconference schedules through in every year but one through 2027. The lone exception in 2026 also already includes matchups with Clemson and Miami.

The bulk of those already planned nonconference slates are heavy with Power Five conference flavor. South Carolina has contests against North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Miami and N.C. State on the books over the next nine years. Clemson is also slated to remain an annual rivalry contest, whether the schedule changes or not.

If the SEC were to add a league game to teams’ annual ledgers, it’s likely South Carolina would have to litigate its way out of some of the nonconference deals it already has in place.

“We don’t have to go play Texas and Oklahoma. We get to go play Oklahoma. We get to go play Texas,” USC head coach Shane Beamer said last year when asked how the Texas and OU additions would affect how competitive the Gamecocks could be in the league. “I mean, if you come play in the SEC, you’re going to play against the best. If you don’t want to play against the best, then you need to go play somewhere else. That’s just the way it always has been and the way it always will be in this league.”

Sankey noted during the SEC’s spring meetings in Destin, Florida in June that the league is paying particular attention to those schools like South Carolina (Clemson), Kentucky (Louisville) and Georgia (Georgia Tech) that play nonconference rivalry games ever year.

He also added the hope was to resolve the scheduling issue during those meetings in Destin, before cautioning later that week the discussions could carry over toward the end of the year.

The SEC already reached new scheduling agreements to include Texas and Oklahoma in soccer, softball, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s tennis last month.

“We have time to make a decision,” Sankey said Monday. “As you’ve seen before with us, particularly in the last few years, as we dealt with some difficult issues, we’re going to use that time to inform our decision-making and not be subject to an arbitrary deadline.”

South Carolina 2022 football schedule

  • Sept. 3: home vs. Georgia State

  • Sept. 10: at Arkansas

  • Sept. 17: home vs. Georgia

  • Sept. 24: home vs. Charlotte

  • Oct. 1: home vs. S.C. State

  • Oct. 8: at Kentucky

  • Oct. 15: OPEN

  • Oct. 22: home vs. Texas A&M

  • Oct. 29: home vs. Missouri

  • Nov. 5: at Vanderbilt

  • Nov. 12: at Florida

  • Nov. 19: home vs. Tennessee

  • Nov. 26: at Clemson

South Carolina future non-conference schedules

These games are according to the Gamecocks’ 2022 media guide.

——2023——

  • Sept. 2 vs. North Carolina (in Charlotte)

  • Sept. 9 vs. Furman

  • Nov. 4 vs. Jacksonville State

  • Nov. 25 vs. Clemson

——2024——

  • Aug. 31 vs. Old Dominion

  • Sept. 21 vs. Akron

  • Nov. 23 vs. Wofford

  • Nov. 30 at Clemson

——2025——

  • Aug. 31 vs Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)

  • Sept. 6 vs. Appalachian State

  • Nov. 22 vs. Coastal Carolina

  • Nov. 29 vs. Clemson

——2026——

  • Sept. 5 vs. Miami (Fla.)

  • Nov. 28 at Clemson

——2027——

  • Sept. 4 vs. East Carolina

  • Sept. 11 vs. Appalachian State

  • Sept. 18 at Miami (Fla.)

  • Nov. 27 vs. Clemson

——2028——

  • Date TBD vs. North Carolina

  • Date TBD at Clemson

——2029——

  • Date TBD at North Carolina

  • Date TBD vs. Clemson

——2030——

  • Date TBD vs. N.C. State

  • Date TBD at Clemson

——2031——

  • Date TBD at N.C. State

  • Date TBD vs. Clemson

Advertisement