South Carolina Football Bowl Prospects Improve Following Texas A&M Win; NCAA Violation Resolved

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Bowl prospects for South Carolina football are on the rise after a decisive 44-20 win over No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday. With a 5-3 overall record and a 3-3 standing in SEC play, the Gamecocks now need just one more victory to secure bowl eligibility. They have a chance to achieve that milestone this weekend in an away game against Vanderbilt. South Carolina will close out the season with home games against Missouri and Wofford before heading to Clemson.

Bowl projections for South Carolina vary. Action Network’s Brett McMurphy has the Gamecocks headed to Tampa for the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl) on Dec. 31 to face Iowa. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura predict a Texas Bowl matchup against Big 12’s Texas Tech on New Year’s Eve in Houston. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm envisions South Carolina playing Deion Sanders’ Colorado team in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 27. Meanwhile, The Sporting News sees the Gamecocks in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27 against Kansas State. Athlon Sports and 247Sports have South Carolina playing in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, facing Illinois or Michigan.

Bowl representatives from both the Citrus and Gator Bowls attended South Carolina’s game against Texas A&M, sparking speculation that the Gamecocks could improve their standing in the SEC bowl selection order with another win against Vanderbilt. The ‘ most recent bowl appearance came in the 2022 against Notre Dame. SC fell to the Fighting Irish by a score of 45-38 in that one.

South Carolina Gamecocks Gator Bowl versus Notre Dame. Photo: CC News Network

The SEC has automatic tie-ins with seven bowls: Citrus Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, ReliaQuest Bowl, Texas Bowl, Gator Bowl, and Music City Bowl. The Citrus Bowl selects the top SEC team not in the College Football Playoff bracket, while the remaining bowl matchups are assigned by the SEC. Additionally, the SEC has affiliations with the Birmingham Bowl and Gasparilla Bowl if extra placements are necessary.

NCAA Level III Violation Resolved

Off the field, South Carolina recently resolved a Level III NCAA violation involving former football staffer Taylor Edwards. The violation occurred when a recruiting notice was sent to a prospective student-athlete before formal notification of the athlete’s entry into the transfer portal. The NCAA defined this as an “isolated incident providing a minimal advantage.” South Carolina self-reported the infraction in September, and penalties were issued on Oct. 10, including a one-week recruiting ban and a four-day reduction in recruiting days in Spring 2025.

Edwards, the program’s director of player personnel since 2021, was terminated over the incident in late July. South Carolina has accepted the penalties, bringing the matter to a close. Notably, no current staff members were implicated in the NCAA investigation.

With the violation resolved, South Carolina’s focus shifts back to the field as they pursue bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season. The Gamecocks face Vanderbilt this Saturday, Nov. 9, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network and available to stream on the ESPN app.

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