Scrutinizing The Schedule
posted by Scott Hood, Monday, June 18, 2007
Some fans have complained that playing at the home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers will reduce the number of home games at Williams-Brice Stadium.
But my research shows that's not true.
Moreover, under the agreement between USC and East Carolina, Gamecock fans will receive a majority of the tickets for the two games in Charlotte. You can count on 45,000 to 50,000 Gamecock fans in the Queen City for those games.
Here's a breakdown of the Gamecocks' schedule for the next six seasons:
It appears the next time USC will have just six home games in Columbia is 2014 when USC faces East Carolina in Charlotte, Clemson in the Upstate and four SEC opponents on the road.
The SEC adopted a 5-1-2 system beginning with the 2004 season for its conference football games. Each school plays all five of its division opponents along with one permanent and two rotating non-division opponents each year. USC's permanent SEC Western Division foe is Arkansas.
Looking over the schedules, what year really stands out? 2010. That season could feature the most attractive home slate in USC history with North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas set to visit Williams-Brice Stadium.
Whatever USC charges for season tickets that year, it'll be worth it.
In addition, USC must travel to Florida, Auburn and Clemson in 2010. Wow. That's eight heavyweight games out of 12. I'll bet most of those contests will be on national television.
By 2010, all eight of those opponents could be in the Top 25. You know Nick Saban, for all of his arrogance and aloofness, will have the Crimson Tide machine humming by his fourth season. Gamecock fans don't require a history lesson on the rivalries with Georgia and Tennessee, and Arkansas is respectable every year.
The "Carolina" border battle with North Carolina should be a separate season unto itself. The stadium should be electric that night considering the Tar Heels haven't visited Williams-Brice Stadium in nearly two decades.
If USC's schedule isn't ranked the most difficult in the nation that year, there should be an investigation.
What should give fans hope that USC will be able to handle the gauntlet in 2010 is the fact many of this year's incoming freshman such as Chris Culliver, Jason Barnes and Weslye Saunders will be seniors that year. Steve Spurrier has said the 2007 class may be the one that brings the Gamecocks their first SEC Championship.
The 2010 season might be their biggest test.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
The announcement late last week that South Carolina and East Carolina will play a pair of games in 2011 and 2014 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte as part of a five-game series extending to 2016 prompted me to take a closer look at USC's schedule for the next several years.
Some fans have complained that playing at the home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers will reduce the number of home games at Williams-Brice Stadium.
But my research shows that's not true.
Moreover, under the agreement between USC and East Carolina, Gamecock fans will receive a majority of the tickets for the two games in Charlotte. You can count on 45,000 to 50,000 Gamecock fans in the Queen City for those games.
Here's a breakdown of the Gamecocks' schedule for the next six seasons:
YEAR HOME ROAD NEUTRALUSC has seven homes at Williams-Brice Stadium scheduled for every year through 2013. In 2011, USC will have seven games in Columbia PLUS the game against East Carolina in Charlotte. In my mind, that's eight home games since I believe USC fans will take over Bank of America Stadium.
2007 Louisiana-Lafayette Georgia, LSU None
S.C. State, Miss. St. North Carolina
Kentucky, Vanderbilt Tennessee, Arkansas
Florida, Clemson
2008 N.C. State, Wofford Clemson, Florida None
UAB, Georgia, LSU Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Tennessee, Arkansas Ole Miss
2009 The Citadel, Clemson N.C. State, Georgia None
Florida, Vanderbilt Tennessee, Arkansas
Kentucky, Ole Miss Alabama
TBA (Non-Conf.)
2010 Troy, North Carolina Florida, Vanderbilt None
Furman, Alabama Kentucky, Auburn
Georgia, Tennessee Clemson
Arkansas
2011 Auburn, S.C. State Miss. State, Georgia ECU
Florida, Vanderbilt Tennessee, Arkansas (Char.)
Kentucky, Clemson
(TBA (Non-Conf.)
2012 ECU, Wofford, Georgia Florida, Vanderbilt
Tennessee, Arkansas Kentucky, LSU
Miss, State, TBA Clemson
It appears the next time USC will have just six home games in Columbia is 2014 when USC faces East Carolina in Charlotte, Clemson in the Upstate and four SEC opponents on the road.
The SEC adopted a 5-1-2 system beginning with the 2004 season for its conference football games. Each school plays all five of its division opponents along with one permanent and two rotating non-division opponents each year. USC's permanent SEC Western Division foe is Arkansas.
Looking over the schedules, what year really stands out? 2010. That season could feature the most attractive home slate in USC history with North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas set to visit Williams-Brice Stadium.
Whatever USC charges for season tickets that year, it'll be worth it.
In addition, USC must travel to Florida, Auburn and Clemson in 2010. Wow. That's eight heavyweight games out of 12. I'll bet most of those contests will be on national television.
By 2010, all eight of those opponents could be in the Top 25. You know Nick Saban, for all of his arrogance and aloofness, will have the Crimson Tide machine humming by his fourth season. Gamecock fans don't require a history lesson on the rivalries with Georgia and Tennessee, and Arkansas is respectable every year.
The "Carolina" border battle with North Carolina should be a separate season unto itself. The stadium should be electric that night considering the Tar Heels haven't visited Williams-Brice Stadium in nearly two decades.
If USC's schedule isn't ranked the most difficult in the nation that year, there should be an investigation.
What should give fans hope that USC will be able to handle the gauntlet in 2010 is the fact many of this year's incoming freshman such as Chris Culliver, Jason Barnes and Weslye Saunders will be seniors that year. Steve Spurrier has said the 2007 class may be the one that brings the Gamecocks their first SEC Championship.
The 2010 season might be their biggest test.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Previous Blog Entries
Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.