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by WILL FOLKS
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South Carolina and Miami have cancelled a scheduled home-and-home football series which was slated to kickoff next season – citing the launch of new nine-game conference schedules as the reason for the “mutual” decision.
The Gamecocks were scheduled to host Miami at Williams-Brice Stadium next fall – and then travel to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in the fall of 2027. The games would have marked the first meetings of the two programs since the 2014 Independence Bowl – which South Carolina won 24-21 (the program’s final bowl victory under former head coach Steve Spurrier).
Miami enjoys an all-time 8-6-2 advantage in the series – although the teams have met just once in the last thirty-eight years (the aforementioned Gamecock bowl win). The Hurricanes won both games of a home-and-home series in 1987 and 1988 – and won back-to-back games in Miami in 1959 and 1960.
Miami is committed to non-conference games next season against Florida A&M (home), Central Michigan (home) and Notre Dame (away). South Carolina has Towson and arch-rival Clemson on its non-conference schedule next season. With Miami no longer on the schedule, the Gamecocks are “actively pursuing a third non-conference opponent.”
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Miami began the 2025 campaign ranked No. 10 nationally in both the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. After racing to a 5-0 start, the Hurricanes are now ranked No. 2 in the AP poll and No. 3 in the coaches survey. Former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has paced Miami’s offense, throwing for 1,213 yards and eleven touchdowns so far this season – completing 73.4% of his passes.
Beck has catapulted to the top of the 2025 Heisman Trophy race with his performance.
South Carolina began the season ranked No. 13 in both polls. Head coach Shane Beamer‘s squad climbed as high as No. 10 nationally – prior to dropping out of the rankings following losses to Vanderbilt and No. 23 Missouri.
The Gamecocks (3-2, 0-2 SEC) have a brutal upcoming schedule – with five consecutive games against teams ranked No. 11 or better.
The gauntlet includes contests on the road against No. 11 LSU (October 11 in Baton Rouge), No. 6 Oklahoma (at home on October 18), No. 8 Alabama (at home on October 25), No. 4 Ole Miss (in Oxford on November 1) and No. 5 Texas A&M (in College Station on November 15).
Beamer is 7-16 against ranked foes since becoming South Carolina’s head coach ahead of the 2021 season.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
Football is not a core function of the Academy!
Schools wouldn’t even exist without football!