South Carolina’s next SEC home date now has a kickoff window, and the Gamecocks will get Kentucky in the afternoon on Oct. 3.
The SEC announced Sept. 21 that South Carolina and Kentucky will start at 4:15 p.m. ET at Williams-Brice Stadium. The game will air on SEC Network.
Both teams enter the matchup at 2-1, though they’ve taken different paths to get there. South Carolina is coming off a 41-34 loss to Mississippi State on Sept. 19 and heads to No.
8 Alabama on Sept. 26 before returning home for Kentucky. The Crimson Tide, now 3-0 and 2-0 in the SEC, beat Kentucky in Week 2.
Kentucky, meanwhile, just delivered one of the more notable results of the early season, upsetting Texas A&M 31-21 and dropping the Aggies from No. 8 to No. 20 in the coaches poll. The Wildcats play South Alabama on Sept. 26 before making the trip to Columbia.
The matchup also carries a different feel for Kentucky this year. Mark Stoops was fired in December after 13 seasons, and Will Stein now runs the program after being hired away from Oregon, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Shane Beamer has had the better of Kentucky for most of his time at South Carolina, going 4-1 against the Wildcats. His first-season loss to Kentucky in 2021 technically came by a 16-10 score, but that result was later vacated because of NCAA violations. Those football violations involved at least 11 former Kentucky players receiving payment for work they did not perform between spring 2021 and March 2022.
All of Kentucky’s victories from that 2021 season were vacated, and the program was fined and placed on probation for two years.
South Carolina opened the season with a 57-0 win over Kent State on Sept. 5 and followed that with a 45-9 win over Towson on Sept. 12 before falling in its SEC opener. Kentucky will be the third of nine straight conference games for the Gamecocks this season.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is 2-0 against the Wildcats.
South Carolina football 2026 schedule
Sept. 5: 57-0 win over Kent State
Sept. 12: 45-9 win over Towson
Sept. 19: 41-34 loss to Mississippi State
Sept. 26: at Alabama (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Oct. 3: vs Kentucky (Flex, TV TBD)
Oct. 10: at Florida (Early, TV TBD)
Oct. 24: vs Tennessee (Afternoon, TV TBD)
Oct. 31: at Oklahoma (Flex, TV TBD)
Nov. 7: vs Texas A&M (Afternoon, TBD)
Nov. 14: at Arkansas (Flex, TBD)
Nov. 21: vs Georgia (TBD)
Nov. 28: at Clemson (TBD)
In Other News...
South Carolina Suddenly Has Bigger Problems Than One Bad Loss
South Carolinas loss to Mississippi State was painful not just because the Gamecocks let a 16-point lead slip away, but because it fit a familiar and increasingly frustrating pattern. LaNorris Sellers had an uneven day with interceptions and accuracy issues, and the offense never found the kind of rhythm that can steady a team when games start to turn.
Shane Beamer is feeling the weight of those results. The record against Power Four opponents has been bleak, and the SEC numbers are even harder to ignore, which is why the conversation around his job security has started to grow louder despite the six-year contract he signed. One bad loss can be shrugged off in a long season, but this one only added to the sense that bigger questions are now hanging over the program. [Read more 🡒]
LaNorris Sellers Just Put South Carolinas Biggest Hope Under Pressure
LaNorris Sellers had the kind of afternoon that can linger, even in a season that still has plenty of football left. In South Carolinas loss to Mississippi State, the Gamecocks quarterback completed 25 of 40 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns, but the two interceptions and the broader unevenness of the game stood out more than the production. Pro Football Focus graded it as the lowest passing performance of his career, a notable marker for a player the Gamecocks have leaned on as one of their biggest hopes.
The concern is not just one bad showing, either. Sellers play has not shown clear improvement since the 2024 season, which puts added pressure on every outing and makes each mistake feel a little bigger. Shane Beamer acknowledged the errors while still voicing confidence in Sellers consistency and work ethic, a reminder that South Carolina is still betting on internal growth rather than looking for an easy replacement. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Next SEC Test Just Got More Interesting For Fans
South Carolinas stretch of SEC football is about to get a little more layered, with Kentucky set to visit Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3 for a 4:15 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. Before that, the Gamecocks have Alabama on deck this weekend, a matchup that carries its own weight as South Carolina goes after its first win over the Crimson Tide since 2010.
Kentuckys arrival also adds a fresh wrinkle for fans watching the bigger picture. First-year Wildcats coach Will Stein will meet Shane Beamer for the first time, and the scheduling note comes as South Carolinas 2026 football slate is also taking shape. For a program trying to build momentum in the league, every SEC date matters, but this one already has a little extra curiosity attached to it. [Read more 🡒]