COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Southeastern Conference released on Friday its 2019 men's basketball league schedule. South Carolina begins conference play on Sat., Jan. 5, at Florida, and will host Mississippi State in the league home opener the following Tuesday (Jan. 8). Six of Carolina's nine home contests will feature matchups against team's that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last March, in addition to 2018 NIT semifinalist Mississippi State. Tip times and television details for the schedule will be released at a later date. In addition to MSU, Carolina will host Alabama, Arkansas, defending league co-champion Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, Missouri, defending league co-champion Tennessee and Texas A&M in 2019. As in recent seasons, each league team plays the other 13 teams at least one time during conference action, then teams play their three permanent opponents a second time and the two remaining games will be scheduled on a rotating basis. The SEC/Big 12 Challenge will once again be played in late January, which features the Gamecocks traveling to Oklahoma State on Sat., Jan. 26. The Gamecocks travel to Gainesville (Jan. 5) in the league lidlifter, and return home to host Mississippi State the following Tuesday (Jan. 8). Another home game follows when Missouri visits Colonial Life Arena (Jan. 12), before a pair of road contests at Vanderbilt (Jan. 16) and LSU (Jan. 19). Carolina hosts Auburn (Jan. 22), and then hits the road for its SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup against the Cowboys in Stillwater (Jan. 26). Tennessee (Jan. 29) travels to Columbia, before the Gamecocks travel to former SEC East foes Georgia (Feb. 2) and Kentucky (Feb. 5). Arkansas travels to Columbia (Feb. 9) before Carolina makes the return trip to Knoxville to face the Vols on Feb. 13. The Gamecocks play three of the next four at home, first against Texas A&M (Feb. 16), before hosting Ole Miss the following Tuesday (Feb. 19). South Carolina travels to Mississippi State (Feb. 23), and hosts Alabama (Feb. 26) to conclude the month. Road games at Missouri (March 2) and Texas A&M (March 5) are up next, and the Gamecocks will conclude the regular season against Georgia (March 9) on Senior Day at Colonial Life Arena. The SEC Tournament returns to the Music City in 2019 when Bridgestone Arena in Nashville hosts the event March 13-17. Continue to visit GamecocksOnline.com for updated game times and television details for Carolina's schedule.
2019 SEC Schedule
Sat., Jan. 5 – at Florida Tue., Jan. 8 – Mississippi State Sat., Jan. 12 – Missouri Wed., Jan. 16 – at Vanderbilt Sat., Jan. 19 – at LSU Tue., Jan. 22 – Auburn Tue., Jan. 29 – Tennessee Sat., Feb. 2 – at Georgia Tue., Feb. 5 – at Kentucky Sat., Feb. 9 – Arkansas Wed., Feb. 13 – at Tennessee Sat., Feb. 16 – Texas A&M Tue., Feb. 19 – Ole Miss Sat., Feb. 23 – at Mississippi State Tue., Feb. 26 – Alabama Sat., March 2 – at Missouri Tue., March 5 – at Texas A&M Sat., March 9 – Georgia home games in bold