A scheduling shake‑up in the Southeast
The University of South Carolina announced that it will discontinue its home-and-home football arrangement with the University of North Carolina for the 2028 and 2029 seasons. The cancellation was mutual, carried out without any financial penalties, and clears the way for the Gamecocks to fill the vacated slots with other opponents.
To replace the canceled games, South Carolina has added Bowling Green State to its 2028 schedule. The matchup has a historical footnote: Bowling Green was originally slated to meet USC in 2001, but that game was scrapped after the September 11 attacks. Decades later, Urban Meyer, who once coached Bowling Green, went on to capture three national championships at Florida and Ohio State, underscoring the program’s occasional role in storylines beyond its Midwestern roots.
The decision is tied to the SEC’s recent shift to a nine‑game conference schedule, a change that reduces the need for Power‑4 non‑conference opponents. Both the SEC and the ACC have been moving toward this model, and the new alignment reflects a broader realignment across college football conferences.
Looking ahead, South Carolina’s schedule through 2034 is taking shape, but several years still require non‑conference foes. In addition to Bowling Green, the Gamecocks have slated games against Kent State, Towson, Furman, Appalachian State and East Carolina in the coming seasons, ensuring a varied slate of opponents.
The cancellation also marks the end of a series that had been part of the regular rotation between the two states. While the rivalry will no longer feature home games in Columbia and Chapel Hill, the move illustrates how scheduling decisions are increasingly driven by conference logistics rather than traditional matchups.