South Carolina Lands No. 1 Seed, Set to Host First Two Rounds of March Madness
UCLA claimed the No. 1 overall seed for this year’s NCAA Tournament, as revealed by the selection committee on Sunday. South Carolina, earning the No. 2 overall seed, will host the first two rounds in Columbia at Colonial Life Arena.
Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks (30-3) will open their tournament run against No. 16 Tennessee Tech (26-5) on Friday. The Columbia region will also feature a No. 8 vs. No. 9 showdown between Utah (22-8) and Indiana (19-12). Game times and TV broadcasts are yet to be announced.
“We’re gonna play the cards that we’ve been dealt,” Staley told fans during a watch party at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday.
Path to the Final Four
This marks the first time since 2021 that South Carolina is not the No. 1 overall seed. If the Gamecocks advance past the opening rounds in Columbia, they’ll head to Birmingham, Alabama, for the Sweet 16. The Final Four will be played in Tampa, Florida.
The Birmingham 2 Region is stacked with tough competition. Duke secured the No. 2 seed, followed by North Carolina (No. 3) and Maryland (No. 4).
Gamecocks’ Championship Pedigree
South Carolina briefly dropped to a No. 2 seed in the selection committee’s late-February Top 16 reveal but reclaimed a No. 1 seed after defeating then-No. 1 Texas in the SEC Tournament championship. ESPN’s Charlie Creme even projected them as the No. 1 overall seed before the final bracket was announced.
Under Staley, the Gamecocks have reached four straight Final Fours and won three national championships (2017, 2022, and an undefeated 2024 season). This year marks their 14th NCAA Tournament bid under her leadership.
Birmingham 2 Region Breakdown
1. South Carolina (30-3)
2. Duke (26-7)
3. North Carolina (27-7)
4. Maryland (23-7)
5. Alabama (23-8)
6. West Virginia (24-7)
7. Vanderbilt (22-10)
8. Utah (22-8)
9. Indiana (19-12)
10. Oregon (19-11)
11. Columbia/Washington
12. Green Bay (29-5)
13. Norfolk State (30-4)
14. Oregon State (19-15)
15. Lehigh (27-6)
16. Tennessee Tech (26-5)
With March Madness officially underway, the Gamecocks are ready to chase their third national title in four seasons.
