Rae Rose Media Partners With South Carolina to Launch the PowHER Player Classic
South Carolina women’s basketball has officially announced a new partnership with Rae Rose Media, joining forces to host the inaugural PowHER Player Classic — a multi-team event at Colonial Life Arena during Thanksgiving weekend that blends basketball with a broader mission around NIL access.
The tournament will bring three HBCU programs to Columbia: Tennessee State, NC Central, and Alabama A&M. While South Carolina hosts the on-court action, Rae Rose is handling the event’s non-basketball elements, which include a Thursday community service initiative tied to the holiday and a Friday NIL Marketplace designed to connect athletes with sponsorship and networking opportunities.
Dawn Staley framed the partnership as an extension of her broader vision for the sport, saying, “To me, basketball has always been a vehicle for access and opportunities, and our game has grown to where those go well beyond just what happens on the court. I am passionate about making sure no young women who pour into our game get left behind in those expanding prospects, regardless of where they play. That was the inspiration for this event, and I’m so proud to work with Rae Rose Media to bring it to life this season.”
On the court, the tournament kicks off Saturday, November 28, with NC Central facing Alabama A&M before South Carolina hosts Tennessee State. Sunday’s slate will feature both a championship game and a consolation matchup between Saturday’s winners and losers, with specific game times to be finalized alongside South Carolina’s broader television schedule. Tickets to the full tournament are included as part of South Carolina’s season ticket package, with single-session tickets set to go on sale at a later date.
Beyond the games themselves, the weekend is built around deeper engagement — Friday’s schedule includes sponsor activations for all four participating teams and a Culture Night Kickoff Dinner hosted by Rae Rose, designed to foster relationships that extend well past the tournament itself.
This isn’t Rae Rose’s first collaboration with South Carolina — the agency has previously worked with the program on NIL-focused projects, including the Gamecocks’ NCAA selection watch party, and has also partnered with Cal’s women’s basketball program on similar initiatives. The PowHER Player Classic represents the most ambitious project between the two parties yet, combining competitive basketball with a platform explicitly built to create opportunity for athletes across programs — not just at South Carolina.
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