Kent State will kick off the 2026 college football season at South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The matchup will the second all-time between the Golden Flashes and Gamecocks. South Carolina set a modern single-game scoring record in a 77-14 win over Kent State in 1995.

The Gamecocks finished 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the Southeastern Conference this season.

Kent State has faced an SEC team in every full season since 2018. The Flashes played Mississippi in 2018, Auburn in 2019, Texas A&M in 2021, Georgia in 2022, Arkansas in 2023, Tennessee in 2024 and Oklahoma this season.

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