Beamer in favor of playing more 'marquee matchups' with a few stipulations
No matter who his team is playing, Shane Beamer knows there will always be a great environment at Williams-Brice Stadium. Just last season, the Gamecocks sold out every home game they played.
That even included games against smaller programs like Old Dominion, Akron, and Wofford. Regardless of the opponent, people still showed up. But everyone loves the big-time matchups, especially with Power Four teams in non-conference play.
“Our fans want to see us play those big games,” the South Carolina head coach said on 107.5 The Game. “They want to see teams like Miami come to Columbia next year or a Big Ten team come every year or every other year.”
That’s something Beamer would be in favor of doing for years to come. South Carolina will play both Miami (FL) and North Carolina in home-and-home games through 2029. The Gamecocks will host the Hurricanes in 2026 before making the return trip to Hard Rock Stadium the following year. Then, in 2028, they’ll face UNC at Williams-Brice Stadium and then play at Chapel Hill in 2029.
This doesn’t include the annual rivalry matchup against Clemson every year, which is another big game in its own right. The SEC currently plays an eight-game conference schedule with a potential of moving to nine games soon. If the league were to hold firm at eight games, the Gamecocks could add more top opponents. If it went to nine, South Carolina would play two P4 teams, one Group of Five/FCS game, and the SEC slate, just based on future schedules.
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While Beamer is on board with this idea, he has some more questions that need to be answered. Would the other 15 SEC teams be willing to play a schedule like this? And what would that mean for the College Football Playoff?
Going back to last season, strength of schedule became a big talking point when the 12-team playoff bracket came out. Beamer, who heavily advocated for South Carolina to be in, wasn’t a fan of not taking whom you’ve beaten into account.
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“It’s great to bring marquee matchups into Williams-Brice Stadium,” he said, “but if strength of schedule isn’t going to matter — which it clearly didn’t this year — then you also need to look at if we’re doing what’s best for our program and giving our team the best chance to compete for championships.”
At the time, South Carolina was on the outside looking in after beating then-No. 12 Clemson on the road. When that happened, Beamer questioned if there was anything to gain by playing a tougher non-conference schedule since teams without any ranked wins made the playoff.
Ultimately, as much as Beamer loves playing bigger out-of-conference games, he wants what’s best for everyone, too.
“As long as that’s something everybody else is doing — if every other team is playing nine conference games, a Big Ten team, and then two money games — let’s make sure it’s right for everybody as well,” Beamer said.
