Shane Beamer Reacts to SEC’s Nine-Game Schedule: “As Long as It’s Fair”
Just hours after the SEC announced its shift to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2026, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer weighed in on the move. His reaction? Mostly supportive — with one important caveat.
For years, Beamer has voiced concern that an expanded SEC slate disproportionately impacts schools like South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky. Those programs already face annual rivalry matchups against marquee non-conference Power 4 opponents — Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Louisville — making their paths inherently more difficult.
This time, Beamer acknowledged the SEC at least considered that challenge, requiring every school to play at least one Power 4 non-conference game moving forward.
“As a competitor, I love it. Think it’s great for the fans,” Beamer said during his Carolina Calls radio show Thursday. “I’ll say what I’ve said all along, I’m great with it as long as every other school in the SEC is playing the schedule we’re playing.”
A Brutal Path Ahead
Even with the new mandate, Beamer pointed out that South Carolina’s schedule remains even tougher. Alongside its yearly showdown with Clemson, the Gamecocks are locked into additional ACC series for the next six seasons: Miami (2026–27), North Carolina (2028–29), and NC State (2030–31).
Canceling those games is technically an option, but it would come at a steep cost — $3 million to drop Miami and $500,000 each to cut ties with UNC and NC State. Beamer made it clear that backing away from those challenges isn’t in his plans.
“I’m not shying away from competition. That’s awesome. I’m all for it, as long as the other teams that we’re competing against for playoff spots — they’re playing the same 11 Power 4 games a year, which is the direction that we’re going,” Beamer said. “And if they are, awesome. And if they’re not, then that’s not very — let’s be honest, fair.”
Looking for Balance
Beamer suggested that instead of South Carolina scaling back, the solution might be other SEC schools stepping up. He compared the situation to the NFL, where every team faces the same standard of competition.
“No NFL team is playing 16 NFL games and then they go play one extra game against a college team, in other words, for a playoff berth,” he said.
Still, Beamer didn’t entirely close the door on adjusting future schedules if necessary.
“So as long as it’s all fair, I’m great with it,” he said. “And if it’s not, I think everybody needs to look at — what are we doing? … I also have an obligation to make sure our team is in the same boat as the other 15 teams in this league.”
