South Carolina's main rival in the SEC is the University of Georgia due to its proximity and the many years of competing against each other before the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1991. Subsequently, USC has developed rivalries with the other members of the Eastern Division, which many experts regard as the most competitive division in all of college sports. However, the University of Florida has the potential to become the biggest rival of them all. First, Carolina hired former Gator football coach, Steve Spurrier, and then beat the Gators 30-22 in their first meeting with Spurrier at the helm, which knocked the Gators out of contention for the SEC East title. Shortly thereafter, the Gamecocks swept the eventual national champion Gators during the regular season of men's basketball. In 2006 the football squad lost by one point to the Gators in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
