South Carolina announces non-conference schedule

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley announced her team’s 15-game non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season. The Gamecocks will open the season at home with three of its eight home games set for the first 10 days of the season. The 15-game non-conference schedule includes seven games against 2025 NCAA Tournament teams.

South Carolina’s opening week includes two uncommon opponents but familiar coaches as Staley welcomes back former assistant coaches Winston Gandy and Fred Chmiel when NCAA Tournament participant Grand Canyon (Nov. 3) and Bowling Green (Nov. 7) come to Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks close out the season-opening homestand against in-state rival Clemson on Tue., Nov. 11.

The first of two trips to the West Coast is set for Sat., Nov. 15, for The Real SC event pitting South Carolina against Southern Cal, which advanced to the Elite Eight last season. The 2025 event will take place at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles with the Trojans heading east for the 2026 event to be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.

The Gamecocks return home for a pair of local opponents – Wofford (Nov. 19) and Queens (Nov. 23) – before heading west again for the Players Era Women’s Championship in Las Vegas. They open the event against NCAA Elite Eight finisher Duke on Nov. 26 and will face either UCLA or Texas, both Final Four teams last season, on Thu., Nov. 27.

South Carolina is on the road this season for the ACC/SEC Challenge, traveling to NCAA second-round finisher Louisville on Dec. 4 before returning to Colonial Life Arena for a pair of games that bookend the exam break. The Gamecocks will host NC Central on Dec. 7 and Penn State on Dec. 14.

Prior to the holiday break, South Carolina will make a weekend trip to Florida, facing NCAA Tournament participants USF (Dec. 18) and Florida Gulf Coast (Dec. 20).

The Gamecocks are back at home to close out their pre-SEC slate against Providence on Dec. 28, and they make one final non-conference road trip to Coppin State on Jan. 18.

Tipoff times and television information will be announced at a later date.

Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on the women’s basketball season.

South Carolina 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule

Mon., Nov. 3 – Grand Canyon
Fri., Nov. 7 – Bowling Green
Tue., Nov. 11 – Clemson
Sat., Nov. 15 – vs. Southern Cal (The Real SC, Los Angeles, CA)
Wed., Nov. 19 – Winthrop
Sun., Nov. 23 – Queens

Players Era Championship (Las Vegas, NV)
Wed., Nov. 26 – vs. Duke
Thu., Nov. 27 – vs. UCLA/Texas

Thu., Dec. 4 – at Louisville (ACC/SEC Challenge)
Sun., Dec. 7 – NC Central
Sun., Dec. 14 – Penn State
Thu., Dec. 18 – at USF
Sat., Dec. 20 – at Florida Gulf Coast
Sun., Dec. 28 – Providence
Sun., Jan. 18 – at Coppin State