The South Carolina Gamecocks, fresh off a historic season and their fourth consecutive SEC regular-season championship, are set to embark on another challenging Southeastern Conference journey in 2025-26. The 18-game conference slate, a gauntlet of the nation’s premier basketball programs, promises to be a true test of their mettle. The quest for a fifth-straight title will begin on New Year’s Day against a familiar and formidable opponent: the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The rivalry between South Carolina and Alabama has intensified in recent years, with both programs consistently vying for top spots in the SEC. This season, they will renew their rivalry twice, with the Gamecocks traveling to Tuscaloosa for the opener on January 1 and later hosting the Crimson Tide on February 19. The two-game series will be a barometer for both teams as they navigate a conference that sent a record 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament last season.
The schedule for the Gamecocks is packed with marquee matchups and difficult road tests. Their home-and-home opponents for the season are Florida, Georgia, and LSU. This means they will face these three teams twice, once at home and once on the road. The two games against Florida will be particularly intense, given the Gators’ recent national championship victory. South Carolina will also host Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. The visits from Oklahoma and Tennessee will be must-see events, as both programs have been consistent contenders. The Gamecocks will have their work cut out for them on the road, with trips to Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas, and Texas A&M. The road swing against Texas and Texas A&M, two new additions to the conference, will be a unique challenge and a chance to establish new rivalries.
The final stretch of the season will be especially daunting for the Gamecocks. Five of their last six games are against teams that participated in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This includes four consecutive games to open the final stretch, a run that will either solidify their position at the top of the conference or create a late-season scramble for seeding. The SEC Tournament returns to Nashville, Tennessee, where the Gamecocks will look to cap off their regular season with a championship run.
For Alabama, the 2025-26 SEC season also presents a formidable schedule. After the season opener against South Carolina, the Crimson Tide will welcome a strong slate of conference opponents to Coleman Coliseum. Their home games include matchups against Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. The home games against Oklahoma and Texas will be particularly notable as they mark the first time these two new SEC members will visit Tuscaloosa for conference play. The Crimson Tide will also have to navigate a tough road schedule, with trips to Missouri, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, and Vanderbilt. Alabama’s permanent home-and-home opponents for the season are Auburn, Mississippi State, and Tennessee, ensuring that the rivalry games will be intense and meaningful.
The SEC as a whole is coming off a season of unprecedented success, with a record number of teams in the NCAA Tournament and a national champion in Florida. The addition of Texas and Oklahoma promises to make the league even more competitive and exciting. Every team will be looking to make their mark in this expanded and talent-rich conference, and the South Carolina Gamecocks will be at the center of the action. The quest to repeat as SEC champions will be a long and arduous one, starting on January 1 in Tuscaloosa.
