‘It’s weird’: Shane Beamer shares thoughts on divisionless 2024 SEC schedule
The last year for a “normal” SEC football schedule starts now.
Last month, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters that the league approved an eight-game conference schedule without divisions for the 2024 season. SEC football has been split in two — “East” and “West” – since 1992. Sankey first alluded to the elimination of divisions in November, saying the move would be made upon Texas and Oklahoma officially joining the conference.
Sankey said in June at SEC spring meetings that conference schedules in 2024 would be constructed around “fairness and balance” while striving to maintain “traditional rivalries.” Priority games for the SEC include Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia, Mississippi State-Ole Miss, Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia and Texas-Texas A&M, ESPN’s Chris Low reported, citing sources.
South Carolina’s 2024 SEC foes won’t include Georgia (for the first time in 30 years), Florida or Tennessee.
“It’s weird, I’ll be honest with you,” Beamer said Thursday at SEC Media Days in Nashville when asked about the 2024 schedule. “I mean, you know when you have expansion there’s 16 teams in the league that you’re not gonna be able to play everybody. For as long as I can remember, South Carolina played those teams. So to not be playing them is weird. It’s part of it, but I look at it as an opportunity to play other teams and go visit places and schools that we haven’t been to in a long time or ever.”
USC football went 4-4 in the SEC last season, which included a stunning 63-38 victory over then-No. 5 Tennessee and a 38-6 defeat at the hands of Florida. The Gamecocks finished third in the East behind eventual national champion Georgia and Tennessee.
The SEC will look into different scheduling options for the 2025 season and beyond. Several schools have publicly supported the idea of a nine-game conference schedule, including Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU and Missouri.
Teams in the SEC currently play an eight-game conference schedule, which includes one game against each division opponent and two cross-divisional games. USC‘s 2023 schedule features tough, high-profile matchups.
The Gamecocks’ first conference game this year is against reigning back-to-back national champion Georgia in Athens. A couple weeks later, South Carolina will travel to Knoxville for a bout with Tennessee.
South Carolina football 2023 SEC schedule
Sept. 16 at Georgia
Sept. 23 vs. Mississippi State
Sept. 30 at Tennessee
Oct. 14 vs. Florida
Oct. 21 at Missouri
Oct. 28 at Texas A&M
Nov. 11 vs. Vanderbilt
Nov. 18 vs. Kentucky
Gamecocks 2024 SEC opponents
(dates TBD)
Away vs. Alabama
Away vs. Kentucky
Home vs. LSU
Home vs. Missouri
Home vs. Ole Miss
Away vs. Oklahoma
Home vs. Texas A&M
Away vs. Vanderbilt
This story was originally published July 20, 2023 at 11:36 AM.
