South Carolina is headed for a small but notable first in 2028: the Gamecocks will open a season in “Week 0” for the first time in program history.
The move comes with a date change for South Carolina’s home game against Bowling Green State. What was originally set for Sept. 2, 2028, is now slated for Aug. 26 at Williams-Brice Stadium, placing it in the Saturday before the first full week of college football games.
That early slot has become known as “Week 0,” and it comes with a couple of perks. Teams playing that weekend get the advantage of a lighter national schedule around them, and they also pick up an extra bye week during the season.
This year, there are eight FBS games on the Week 0 slate, including North Carolina against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
The change was reflected in a contract obtained by The State through a Freedom of Information Act request. The agreement said that “an Addendum may be generated by HOME TEAM to move game date to August 26, 2028 (Week ZERO).” A recent report from FBSchedules.com said the schools have now agreed to make that move official.
South Carolina will still pay Bowling Green $1.1 million for the trip to Columbia.
The Gamecocks are then scheduled to host Wofford on Sept. 9, 2028, which would leave them with a bye after their first game of the year if the schedule holds as it stands now.
The Aug. 26 kickoff would also mark the earliest start to a South Carolina season ever. The program has opened on Aug. 28 twice before - against N.C. State in 2008 and against Texas A&M in 2014 - though both of those games were played on Thursdays.
Altogether, South Carolina has played 12 season openers in August, including games against Old Dominion in 2024 and Virginia Tech in 2025, with that Virginia Tech game coming on a Sunday.
Looking further ahead, South Carolina’s future schedules already stretch through 2035, with the 2028 slate now including Bowling Green State, Wofford and Clemson in nonconference play, along with SEC matchups against Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma at home and Florida, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Tennessee on the road.
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