South Carolina's 2018 football season is three weeks old, but it's never too early to know the schedule for next season. The Southeastern Conference released the 2019 football schedules for the league's 14 members on Tuesday afternoon. For the Gamecocks, their conference slate of games is highlighted by a home contest against Alabama and then back-to-back-to-back games against SEC East rivals Georgia, Florida and Tennessee.

South Carolina's 2019 SEC Schedule

Sept. 14 vs Alabama

Sept. 21 at Missouri

Sept. 28 vs Kentucky

Oct. 5 BYE WEEK

Oct. 12 at Georgia

Oct. 19 vs Florida

Oct. 26 at Tennessee

Nov. 2 vs Vanderbilt

Nov. 16 at Texas A&M

Kickoff times and television broadcasts will be determined at a later date.

The eight scheduled conference games announced on Tuesday now join the four non-conference opponents already set in stone. The Gamecocks will start the season in a familiar place, Charlotte, N.C. at Bank of America Stadium for the Belk College Kickoff on Saturday, August 31. South Carolina will play North Carolina, two years after playing in the 2017 Belk College Kickoff against N.C. State to start the 2017 season and four years after playing North Carolina in the 2015 event. The Gamecocks will then host three non-conference opponents, Charleston Southern on September 7, Appalachian State on November 9 and Clemson on November 30. Following the SEC finale on the road against Texas A&M and before playing Clemson, the Gamecocks will have their second bye week of the season.

From USC Athletics Communications and Public Relations

With 14 playing weekends, the 2019 SEC schedule includes two open dates for each team and conference contests scheduled each week. The season begins the weekend of August 31 with 13 games, including four neutral site games on opening weekend. The 2019 season will culminate with the SEC Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, December 7. It will be the 28th edition of the game and the 26th in the city of Atlanta.



The SEC opener and the first of seven-straight SEC contests for the Gamecocks is set for September 14 when the Alabama Crimson Tide make their way to Columbia. Stephen Garcia led the Gamecocks to a 35-21 win over the No. 1-ranked Tide on October 9, 2010, the last time Alabama visited Williams-Brice Stadium. Carolina has won three of the last five gridiron battles with the Tide dating back to 2001.



South Carolina’s first SEC road game will come on September 21 when the Mayor’s Cup will be decided in Columbia, Mo. The Gamecocks have won each of the last two meetings with their Eastern Division rivals from Missouri. That contest also marks the first of six-straight matchups for South Carolina against SEC Eastern Division opponents.



The September schedule concludes with a September 28 home tilt against Kentucky. After taking 13 of 14 from the Wildcats from 2000-2013, Kentucky has won each of the last four contests heading into a showdown in Lexington later this month.



The Gamecocks will enjoy the first of their two bye weeks during the first weekend in October. The rest of the October slate has a home game against Florida on October 19 sandwiched between road contests at Georgia on October 12 and at Tennessee on October 26. South Carolina has won five of the last eight meetings with both the Gators and Volunteers.



The Gamecocks open the month of November with a home game against Vanderbilt on November 2. The Gamecocks have won nine-straight games against the Commodores heading into this weekend’s clash in Nashville.



Carolina steps out of conference on November 9 with a home tilt against Appalachian State, its first meeting with the Mountaineers since 1988, before wrapping up its SEC slate at Texas A&M on November 16.



A second bye week ensues on November 23, before the 2019 regular season wraps up with the annual Palmetto State showdown with the Clemson Tigers, set for November 30 in Columbia.



The complete list of 2019 football schedules can be found on the SEC’s official website, SECsports.com.

2019 SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 vs. North Carolina (Charlotte)

Sept. 7 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

Sept. 14 ALABAMA*

Sept. 21 at Missouri*

Sept. 28 KENTUCKY*

Oct. 5 Open Date

Oct. 12 at Georgia*

Oct. 19 FLORIDA*

Oct. 26 at Tennessee*

Nov. 2 VANDERBILT*

Nov. 9 APPALACHIAN STATE

Nov. 16 at Texas A&M*

Nov. 23 Open Date

Nov. 30 CLEMSON

*-SEC Game