While the weather is still warm, excitement is building around the ice as the South Carolina Gamecock hockey team announced its 2025-26 season schedule on Monday, August 18. The Gamecocks are joining the SEC as part of the ACC/ACHA agreement that was announced back in July. Now, we know the dates of who they will face this upcoming season.
Gamecock hockey kicks off their season on September 12 against the Georgia Bulldogs at Flight Adventure in Irmo, SC. After a small back-to-back set in Tampa, they will return to the Columbia area for a five-game homestand that runs through September 26 through November 1. They start off with two games against the Florida Gators on September 26 and 28. It's followed up by a Palmetto Bowl showdown versus the Clemson Tigers on October 17. They finish off October and start November with a two-game set against Wake Forest.
One team that the Gamecocks will see frequently following October will be the Tennessee Volunteers. They travel to Knoxville for a back-to-back set on November 7-8 and then at home on January 30-31. The Vols will be the team the Gamecocks will see the most this upcoming season, with four games. The next closest in terms of total games are UNC (a home and home set), Tampa, Florida, Clemson, and Wake Forest, with two games each.
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β Gamecock Hockey (@CockHockey) August 18, 2025
Introducing your 2025-2026 Gamecock Hockey Schedule. We canβt wait for another great year with Gamecock nation! #Ownthestate pic.twitter.com/SqCUp7vhfs
The Gamecocks will take on Clemson at a neutral site game on January 23. However, that comes after being part of the 2026 Publix Savannah Hockey Classic. That will be held at Enmarket Arena, just two and a half hours from Columbia. The games will be held on January 16-17 to kick off the 2026 parts of the schedule.
The Gamecocks wrap up their regular season with a home game against the UNC-Charlotte 49ers. It also caps off a three-game homestand before the start of the SEC tournament. The SEC tournament starts on February 12-15. Following that, the ACHA tournament will be played from February 20-22 and March 12-17.
The excitment is high as ACHA hockey will be in the Columbia area, and it'll feature teams in the ACC and the SEC. Plus, being able to play in the Savannah Hockey Classic presented by Publix, will be a fun time for the players. The Gamecocks look to have a stellar 2025-26 season with hopes of a deep playoff run, not only in the SEC tournament, but the ACHA as well.