COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Southeastern Conference unveiled its men’s basketball league schedule for the 2016-17 campaign on Tuesday. The schedule, which features an 18-game lineup, will see each of Carolina’s matchups broadcast nationally with seven contests on the ESPN family of networks, one game on CBS and 10 on the SEC Network. Carolina will host nine matchups at Colonial Life Arena, with home games versus 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Texas A&M, NIT participants Alabama, Florida and Georgia, as well as home games versus Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi State.

Last year the SEC announced a new scheduling format, with each team having three permanent opponents, and facing two other teams each season in a home-and-home series on a rotating basis. In 2017 the Gamecocks will face their three permanent opponents ââ’¬” Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi State ââ’¬” as well as Florida and Ole Miss in home-and-home series. The Gamecocks will face the remaining league teams once.

South Carolina opens SEC action on the road at 2016 NIT participant Georgia (Wed., Jan. 4, 7 p.m., ESPNU), before returning home to host Texas A&M (Sat., Jan. 7, 1:30/4:30 p.m., CBS), which advanced to last season’s NCAA Tournament, in an afternoon matinee at Colonial Life Arena that weekend. Next, Carolina travels to Tennessee (Wed., Jan. 11, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network), before hosting two straight home contests, the first versus Ole Miss (Sat., Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU), followed by a matchup versus Florida (Wed., Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network). The Gators also advanced to the NIT last season.

Late January will see the Gamecocks play three of four games on the road, beginning with a contest at Kentucky (Sat., Jan. 21, 4-8 p.m., ESPN/2), also an NCAA Tournament participant last season. The lone home game in the stretch is next, when Auburn (Tue., Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network) visits Columbia, before two consecutive road games, at Missouri (Sat., Jan. 28, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network) and at LSU (Wed., Feb. 1., 9 p.m., SEC Network).

The Gamecocks begin the second half of league action playing three of four games at home, starting with back-to-back dates at Colonial Life Arena versus Georgia (Sat., Feb. 4, 2 p.m., ESPN/2) and Alabama (Tue., Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network), which was also in postseason play last Spring in the NIT. Carolina travels to Mississippi State (Sat., Feb. 11, 8 p.m., ESPN2) for the first of two matchups versus the Bulldogs, before a home game with Arkansas (Wed., Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network) finalizes the stretch.

Carolina travels to Vanderbilt (Sat., Feb. 18, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network), before making the return matchup at Florida (Tue., Feb. 21, 7 p.m., ESPN). Tennessee (Sat., Feb. 25, 1 p.m., SEC Network) visits Columbia next, before the Gamecocks host Mississippi State (Tue., Feb. 28, 7 p.m., ESPNU) on Senior Night. Regular-season action concludes at Ole Miss (Sat., March 4, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network), before the conference tournament tips off the following week.

All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and SEC Network) will also be available through WatchESPN, which is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. Each of the CBS Sports games will be available to stream live in more than 150 U.S. markets via the CBS All Access subscription service, with additional coverage on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app.

The SEC Network will televise the first three days of the SEC Basketball Tournament (March 8-12) from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The semifinals and championship game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Season ticket prices for the upcoming season of Gamecock basketball remain unchanged, with full season packages starting at $90. Like last season, fans can purchase lower level season tickets for $260 (Gamecock Club membership required for sections 104-106, 113-115), the Coke Family Sections are available for $600 (four tickets) and upper level tickets are available for $200 (no Gamecock Club membership required). End zone seating in the upper level is priced at four seats for $360. University Faculty/Staff members receive a 20% discount on lower level and upper level ticket prices.

South Carolina’s 2016-17 SEC Lineup:

Wed., Jan. 4, at Georgia, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Sat., Jan. 7, Texas A&M, 1:30/4:30 p.m., CBS
Wed., Jan. 11, at Tennessee, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Sat., Jan. 14, Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
Wed., Jan. 18, Florida, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Sat., Jan. 21, at Kentucky, 4-8 p.m., ESPN/2
Tue., Jan. 24, Auburn, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Sat., Jan. 28, at Missouri, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
Wed., Feb. 1, at LSU, 9 p.m., SEC Network
Sat., Feb. 4, Georgia, 2 p.m., ESPN/2
Tue., Feb. 7, Alabama, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Sat., Feb. 11, at Mississippi State, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Wed., Feb. 15, Arkansas, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Sat., Feb. 18, at Vanderbilt, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
Tue., Feb. 21, at Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN
Sat., Feb. 25, Tennessee, 1 p.m., SEC Network
Tue., Feb. 28, Mississippi State, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Sat., March 4, at Ole Miss, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network

** all times Eastern and subject to change
Home games in bold