South Carolina football will kick off its 2026 season on September 5 against Kent State at Williams-Brice Stadium, the two schools announced Monday. The matchup with Kent State replaces a previously scheduled game against Miami, which was canceled after the ACC and SEC moved to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026.
The full 2026 schedule, including dates, will be released Thursday when the SEC unveils its official slate. It is already confirmed that South Carolina will face Kent State, Towson, and Clemson in non-conference play, while hosting five SEC opponents and traveling to four more.
South Carolina has faced Kent State only once before in program history, defeating them 77-14 in 1995 with quarterback Steve Taneyhill leading the Gamecocks. Last season, South Carolina finished 4-8 overall and 1-7 in SEC play, while Kent State ended at 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the MAC.
Confirmed 2026 opponents:
Non-conference: vs. Kent State, vs. Towson, at Clemson
SEC: vs. Georgia, vs. Kentucky, vs. Mississippi State, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Tennessee
at Florida, at Alabama, at Arkansas, at Oklahoma
