The Southeastern Conference announced on Thursday that starting in 2026, all member schools will play nine conference games each season, as opposed to the current eight. As part of the new scheduling format, each team will face three permanent SEC opponents every year to preserve historic rivalries in the midst of conference realignment.For the Gamecocks, their traditional in-state rival Clemson remains on the schedule, but since Clemson is in the Atlantic Coast Conference, South Carolina’s three locked SEC matchups will come from within the league. According to On3's Andy Staples in his latest projection, South Carolina’s projected trio includes Missouri, Ole Miss and Kentucky.College football analyst Josh Pate had a playful reaction to the prediction. He posted a GIF of a monkey nervously glancing around while running away, paired with the caption:“Shane Beamer leaving the SEC office at 2:30am.”Pate’s reply suggests that if Shane Beamer and South Carolina truly land Missouri, Ole Miss and Kentucky as its annual opponents, it would be a big scheduling win. All three are strong programs, but none are considered SEC powerhouses or regular playoff threats. Compared to what other schools might face, South Carolina’s matchups look much easier.For instance, Staples projected Alabama will be paired with Auburn, Tennessee and LSU, three of the toughest teams in the conference. Florida could face Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma, all of which are national title contenders.In that light, Pate is implying that Shane Beamer must’ve had some serious talks at the SEC office with some very important people to walk away with such a favorable setup.Shane Beamer's program’s record against Missouri, Ole Miss and KentuckySouth Carolina holds a 9-6 all-time record against Missouri, in favor of the Tigers. Since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012, the Tigers are leading the series 7-6. The two teams last met in November, with the Gamecocks winning 34-30. They will meet again this season as South Carolina will go on the road for a matchup scheduled for Sept. 9.Against Ole Miss, South Carolina trails in the series 10-8. The Rebels won the most recent meeting in October, defeating the Gamecocks 20-17. South Carolina will travel to Oxford for a rematch on Nov. 1 in 2025.South Carolina leads the all-time series against Kentucky 21-14-1. The Gamecocks are on a three-game winning streak against the Wildcats, since 2022. This season, Shane Beamer's program will host Kentucky on Sept. 27.