When Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC in 2025, a reconfiguration of the football schedule will have to take place as the conference will then contain 16 members.

Schedule formats and how the SEC might handle realignment — i.e., keep or eliminate divisions — were hot topics at the league’s annual spring meetings last week in Destin, in Florida. It is likely that the SEC will drop the divisions, as a series of conferences like the Pac-12 have already done so after the NCAA no longer requires conference championship games.

The SEC has released eight-game and nine-game non-divisional conference schedule templates. The eight-game format would have one permanent opponent for each school and seven games against a rotation of opponents; the nine-game schedule would contain three permanent opponents and six in rotation.

While coaches and administrators debated and discussed future growth and potential methods, no plans were officially announced for football.

How would each potential schedule realignment affect South Carolina? And which one should Gamecocks fans lean on? Let’s examine.

SEC football schedule with eight games, no divisions

The 1-7 format would most likely allow South Carolina to maintain its longstanding rivalry with Clemson at the end of each regular season.

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This opens up chances of seeing former SEC West divisional teams much more often for the Gamecocks. They would play the remaining 14 teams once every two seasons and would have to visit each school once every four-year cycle. Players having the ability to play with all teams while eligible has been a topic of discussion for years within the SEC, and this model would mitigate that.

But the 1-7 lineup would cost USC’s traditional rivalries with Florida and Tennessee. It is likely that Georgia would be the permanent opponent of South Carolina. Both of these developments would be detrimental to the Gamecocks.

SEC football schedule with nine games, no divisions

For USC, the 3-6 schedule creates some problems. The Clemson game will be a priority for the football schedule, but if non-conference dates are reduced from four to three, tough decisions will have to be made for USC administrators: keep Clemson, play two cupcakes but have less chance to bowl or walk away from their in-state rival and schedule three winnable non-conference games.

If the league expands to nine games, the Palmetto Bowl would be in trouble because it wouldn’t benefit South Carolina to have the Tigers on the schedule.

Another part of this is due to the permanent opponents the Gamecocks would have. Georgia and Tennessee would most likely be two, and the third could be Florida or Kentucky. Or maybe Auburn, because of the proximity.

Finding six wins on a regular basis could be tough for South Carolina in the 3-6 format.

Which is best for South Carolina football?

While a nine-game SEC schedule has all the financial advantages, for the Gamecocks the 1-7 format would be better from a home-court perspective.

Yes, that’s right, Williams-Brice Stadium would be fuller for a South Carolina-LSU game than for a South Carolina-Middle Tennessee State game and the TV money would be a lot more. But the 3-6 format could cost the Gamecocks a surefire sale at the end of the season against Clemson and present a steeper climb for bowl eligibility in any given season.

For South Carolina, playing Georgia every year in the 1-7 schedule wouldn’t be great, but the pattern gives way to the necessary variety of league games, and the Clemson game would remain on the schedule.

What should South Carolina fans be attached to?

The majority of South Carolina fans will want to play Clemson every year, even if the most recent results don’t favor their team.

The Palmetto Bowl is talked about all year round in the state. To keep the game alive, USC fans should ask the SEC to decide the format of the 1-7 schedule.

Gamecocks fans won’t be too excited to face Georgia every season, but seeing other conference opponents more often would be a plus. The path to a bowling match would be easier playing just eight league competitions.