Aug. 26, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. –
The Southeastern Conference released its men’s basketball league schedule for the 2011 season on Thursday. Each of South Carolina’s conference contests will be televised, with five games to be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks, eight on the SEC Network, two on CSS and one on FSN. The Gamecocks will host eight conference matchups, including home games versus NCAA Tournament participants Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt and additional home dates with Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia and Ole Miss.

South Carolina begins conference action with a home contest versus NCAA Tournament participant Vanderbilt (Jan. 8, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The two SEC East foes split the season series last year, with each team winning on the opponent’s home court. South Carolina concluded the 2009-10 regular season with an upset of the No. 13/19 Commodores on senior night in Nashville. Following the SEC opener, Carolina travels to face Alabama (Jan. 12, 9 p.m. ET, CSS) and Florida (Jan. 15, 1:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network) on the road.

South Carolina returns to Colonial Life Arena for three consecutive home dates in late January. The stretch also includes South Carolina’s bye date for 2011. Arkansas (Jan. 19, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network) visits Columbia before Kentucky (Jan. 22, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Auburn (Jan. 29, 1:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network) make the trip. The contest versus Kentucky marks the first time the John Calipari-led Wildcats will return to Colonial Life Arena since being upset as the No. 1 team in the country by the Gamecocks in 2010.

South Carolina travels to LSU (Feb. 2, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 5, 1:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network) before consecutive home contests against Florida (Feb. 9, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network) and Georgia (Feb. 12, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network) to begin the month of February.

The Gamecocks are set to play four of their final six games of the regular season on the road, beginning with a trip to Knoxville to face SEC East rival Tennessee (Feb. 16, 7 p.m. ET, CSS) before making the return trip to Kentucky (Feb. 19, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Ole Miss (Feb. 22, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU) visits Columbia and the Gamecocks travel to Georgia (Feb. 26, 7 p.m., ET, FSN) to conclude the month of February.

Tennessee (March 3, 7 p.m., ET, ESPN/ESPN2) will be South Carolina’s opponent on senior night at Colonial Life Arena in a nationally-televised contest on the ESPN family of networks. The Gamecocks conclude the regular season on the road at Mississippi State (March 5, 2 p.m., ET, ESPN/ESPN2).

Almost half of the SEC’s league games will be distributed nationally with ESPN or ESPN2 televising 27 contests, ESPNU showing seven and CBS Sports five. The SEC’s games on the ESPN family of networks will be exclusively branded as the “SEC on ESPN.”

Regionally-syndicated games will be televised on the SEC Network as part of ESPN Regional Television (ERT). The SEC Network will televise 37 intra-conference games while Fox Sports Net will show 11 contests and CSS nine. The majority of games not televised nationally will be available as a part of ESPN Full Court, the pay subscription college basketball out-of-market service, and on ESPN3.com. In addition, ERT will produce and distribute a studio show each Saturday afternoon during conference play and at the SEC Tournament.

The SEC Basketball Tournament semifinals and championship game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN on ABC. The SEC Network will televise the first two rounds of the tournament which this year will be played March 10-13 in Atlanta, Ga.

Television information and game times for South Carolina’s non-conference contests will be released a later date.

Below is a complete listing of South Carolina’s SEC games for the 2011 season.

Vanderbilt (Jan. 8, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
at Alabama (Jan. 12, 9 p.m. ET, CSS)
at Florida (Jan. 15, 1:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Arkansas (Jan. 19, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Kentucky (Jan. 22, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Auburn (Jan. 29, 1:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
at LSU (Feb. 2, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
at Vanderbilt (Feb. 5, 1:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Florida (Feb. 9, 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Georgia (Feb. 12, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
at Tennessee (Feb. 16, 7 p.m. ET, CSS)
at Kentucky (Feb. 19, 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Ole Miss (Feb. 22, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
at Georgia (Feb. 26, 7 p.m., ET, FSN)
Tennessee (March 3, 7 p.m., ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
at Mississippi State (March 5, 2 p.m., ET, ESPN/ESPN2)