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The SEC has released the schedules for the upcoming 2024 season. That campaign, of course, will be Texas and Oklahoma’s first in the league.
With the matchups revealed on Wednesday, many around the college football world are weighing in. One fanbase, in particular, is upset with the hand that it’s been dealt.
That frustration doesn’t necessarily come from the difficulty of opponents, but rather who those future foes are.
South Carolina fans are disappointed with the fact that none of the team’s strongest SEC rivals will be on the slate. Annual adversaries Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee were nowhere to be found on their ’24 schedule.
Each of those matchups have been played yearly since the Gamecocks joined the league in 1992.
Of course, those fanbases will be the first to tell you that they don’t consider South Carolina a rival, and to an extent, that’s a true. Games like Auburn-UGA and Tennessee-Alabama certainly have more history.
But don’t be fooled by their attempts to hide their hatred for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina has ruined more than a few national championship opportunities for the Bulldogs. The years 2007 and 2019 immediately come to mind.
The same was true for the Vols’ title hopes after last year’s 63-38 thumping in Columbia.
Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee are the SEC teams the Gamecocks have played the most, which isn’t surprising considering their proximity to one another.
But instead of staying close to home, the league decided to make South Carolina a quasi-SEC West member.
The Gamecocks will play road games against Alabama and Oklahoma while hosting LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Texas A&M. Kentucky and Vanderbilt are the only schools within 360 miles of the South Carolina campus.
Fans let their voices be heard on social media.
South Carolina got absolutely SHAFTED. Kentucky is the closest thing to a rival on their schedule.
— Rattlesnake (@RattlesnakeTex) June 15, 2023
No UGA is the biggest killer, a team the Gamecocks have played more than anyone outside of Clemson in their history.
Haaaaaate no Georgia.
— Hannah Bagnal (@HannahSellsATL) June 14, 2023
One person wrote, “I’m kind of sad we don’t play Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.”
Instead, the SEC continued the head-scratching “rivalry” with Texas A&M, a school nearly 1,000 miles away.
Why does the SEC insist on us playing A&M every year? I’d much rather play a school like Georgia or Tennessee
— Mikey Bankroll (@MikeyPiggskin) June 14, 2023
“I’m so tired of being associated with A&M and Mizzou,” another fan said.
At least some are looking on the bright spot. The road trips could certainly provide entertainment if you’re looking to booze, particularly Nashville and Lexington.
So our road games include Bourbon Trail, Bama, Norman and Nashville. This will be fun indeed.
— Louis Antonelli (@louis2429) June 14, 2023
And let’s be honest, Gamecock fans will likely need the alcohol after a few of those matchups.
The good thing for South Carolina supporters is that these opponents will rotate as future SEC schedules are unveiled. They’ll just have to get through 2024.