Gamecocks to Play Southern Miss on Thursday in 2010 Opener

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

After the North Carolina Tar Heels asked out of the 2010 season opening Thursday game vs. the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, the university announced Wednesday that the Gamecocks have finally found a replacement.

The Gamecocks will take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Thursday, September 2nd on ESPN. The Gamecocks will open with North Carolina in 2013.

This is the first time the two teams have met. Southern Miss is a power in the Conference USA that has played in bowl games the past seven years. North Carolina will open with LSU for the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta.

ESPN will contribute $50,000 of the $900,000 Southern Miss will receive in guarantees. North Carolina will owe USC $800,000 if it backs out of the 2013 game in Columbia. The Gamecocks won 21-15 in the last meeting with the Tar Heels in 2006.

Steve Spurrier was not concerned about the schedule changes.

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