Kickoff times announced for 2025 SEC schedule. When will South Carolina play?
One year after playing two night games, USC football could be all over prime time.
The Gamecocks only have two confirmed night games but could wind up playing as many as seven depending on flex scheduling, per the SEC.
We already knew that USC’s first two home games (vs. SC State on Sept. 6 and vs. Vanderbilt on Sept. 13) would be played under the lights at Williams-Brice Stadium.
On Wednesday, the SEC gave out more scheduling nuggets by providing the kickoff window times for each of its 2025 conference games.
As a refresher, those windows are broken down into Early (noon to 1 p.m. ET), Afternoon (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.), Night (6 to 8 p.m.) and Flex, which means the SEC chooses at a later date whether to give a game an Afternoon or Night slot.
On top of the SC State and Vanderbilt games, USC has five flex games — at Missouri on Sept, 20, vs. Kentucky on Sept. 27, at LSU on Oct. 11, vs. Alabama on Oct. 25 and at Ole Miss on Nov. 1 — that could wind up with evening kickoff times.
Flex game kickoff times are determined by the SEC six to 12 days before game time.
Last year, South Carolina played just one SEC game at nighttime, an upset win over No. 10 Texas A&M at home that prompted a postgame field storming.
The Gamecocks, though will still play some day games.
USC’s Oct. 18 home game vs. Oklahoma and its Nov. 15 road game at Texas A&M got early time slots (noon to 1 p.m. kickoff), as did South Carolina’s annual rivalry game with Clemson on Nov. 29 (noon, ESPN or ABC) at Williams-Brice Stadium.
USC’s Nov. 22 home game vs. Coastal Carolina is an afternoon game (3:30-4:30 p.m.).
Five flex games among their eight SEC games are a sign of high expectations for the Gamecocks in coach Shane Beamer’s fifth season. South Carolina went 9-4 (5-3 SEC) in 2024 and made a late push for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
USC returns star redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers, among other key contributors for 2025, and is ranked No. 10 in ESPN’s post-spring Way Too Early Top 25.
South Carolina’s 2025 football schedule
Flex games kick off in either 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. range or 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. range
- Aug. 31: vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta, 3 p.m. on ESPN
- Sept. 6: vs. SC State, 7 p.m. on SECN+
- Sept. 13: vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. on ESPN OR 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network
- Sept. 20: at Missouri, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Sept. 27: vs. Kentucky, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Oct. 4: BYE WEEK
- Oct. 11: at LSU, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Oct. 18: vs. Oklahoma, early game (noon to 1 p.m.)
- Oct. 25: vs. Alabama, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Nov. 1: at Ole Miss, flex game (afternoon or night)
- Nov. 8: BYE WEEK
- Nov. 15: at Texas A&M, early game (noon to 1 p.m.)
- Nov. 22: vs. Coastal Carolina, afternoon game (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.)
- Nov. 29: vs. Clemson, noon on ESPN or ABC
This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 2:49 PM.
