Change coming to USC’s 2023 football schedule? Here’s what we know
The South Carolina football team appears set to tweak its 2023 schedule.
Jacksonville State has reached a “verbal agreement” to play USC in the 2023 season for $1.3 million, according to a report by JSU student newspaper The Chanticleer. JSU athletic director Greg Seitz reportedly told the school’s board of trustees Monday that an agreement had been reached with South Carolina.
The only issue? USC’s non-conference slate for 2023 is already complete — as is 2024, 2025 and 2027.
The Gamecocks are scheduled to play North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sept. 2, 2023, with non-conference home games against Furman on Sept. 9, Liberty on Nov. 4 and rival Clemson on Nov. 25. For the Gamecocks to play JSU in 2023, it would mean one of those four games would have to be canceled or rescheduled.
A spokesperson for USC football said no official changes have been made to the 2023 schedule, and Jacksonville State didn’t immediately respond to The State’s request for comment.
A rescheduling of the UNC or Clemson games is highly doubtful, leaving either the Furman or Liberty game as the most likely change on the schedule. A spokesperson for the Furman football program told The State they were unaware of any alterations to the scheduled 2023 game between the Paladins and Gamecocks.
Liberty, however, offered a more ambiguous response.
“Liberty is in the process of making changes to our football schedules in 2023 and beyond due to transitioning from being an Independent to a member of Conference USA,” Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw told The State in a prepared statement. “We cannot comment on any specific game changes until they are contractually resolved.”
Reading between the lines, the Gamecocks would appear to be swapping Liberty for JSU on their 2023 schedule. When any change will be made official wasn’t immediately known. Ironically, Jacksonville State will also be joining Conference USA alongside the Flames in 2023.
Otherwise, the Gamecocks’ 2023 eight-game conference opponents are set. USC’s rotating opponent from the SEC West will be Mississippi State in 2023, and the Bulldogs will come to Williams-Brice Stadium.
USC in 2022 has home non-conference games against Georgia State (Sept. 3), Charlotte (Sept. 24) and S.C. State (Oct. 1). The Gamecocks travel Nov. 26 to face Clemson.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 5:04 PM.
