Staley Finalizes Gamecocks’ Non-Conference Schedule
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley announced her team’s 16-game non-conference schedule today. The slate features three conference champions, and six games against teams that finished the 2025-26 season ranked in the top 20 and three more that played in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Seven games will be played at Colonial Life Arena, and another six of the 16 will be at neutral sites.
Three of the Gamecocks’ first four games are at neutral sites with the fourth coming on the road. A trip to Paris for Oui Play sets the tone for the season on Nov. 2 against Maryland, which ended last season ranked in the top 20 of both polls. South Carolina heads north to meet North Carolina, a Sweet 16 finisher last season, in Charlotte at the Ally Tipoff on Nov. 8.
From there, South Carolina travels to the Upstate for its first true road game in a Nov. 12 meeting at Clemson. Three days later, the Gamecocks face Southern Cal in The Real SC in Greenville. Both teams played in the 2026 NCAA Tournament games South Carolina hosted, meeting in the second round.
The home opener finally arrives on Nov. 17 as the Gamecocks host Florida Gulf Coast before heading out of town for two more games, beginning with a Nov. 21 tipoff at Providence. The team will stay up North for the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase matchup against UConn on Nov. 24 in Uncasville, Conn.
South Carolina will be in town for Thanksgiving, hosting the PowHER Players Classic, with Tennessee State, NC Central and Alabama A&M coming to Colonial Life Arena with two games played on each day of the Nov. 28-29 weekend.
A trip to Duke, which finished last season ranked fifth in both polls after a run to the NCAA Elite 8, kicks off the December schedule with the SEC-ACC Challenge matchup taking place on Dec. 3.
The Gamecocks open a three-game home stand on Dec. 6 against Oklahoma State, an NCAA Tournament second-round entry last season, just before the exam break. South Carolina will welcome Wofford on Dec. 12 and first-time opponent Albany, which is led by Gamecock alumna Kelly Morrone, on Dec. 16.
A return to the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas Dec. 19-20 closes out the Gamecocks’ pre-holiday schedule. South Carolina will play two games at the event with opponents to be announced soon.
South Carolina returns from the holiday break to cap off its non-conference schedule with a Dec. 28 matchup with Garner-Webb before SEC action tips off on Dec. 31.
The Gamecocks’ full 2026-27 schedule of 32 games includes 14 against team that finished last season in the top 25 and three more games against teams that reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Nine of last season’s NCAA Sweet 16 teams will face the Gamecocks at least once in the 2026-27 regular season. Six games feature an opponent that finished at least third in its conference last season.
South Carolina unofficially begins its season with an exhibition game as part of TheLinkU Invitational at Credit One Stadium in Charleston on Sun., Sept. 27. The 5 p.m. tipoff against College of Charleston follows a pair of men’s basketball exhibition games.
Tipoff times and television information for all 2026-27 games will be announced at a later date.
