Dawn Staley Adds South Florida to Gamecocks’ Stacked 2025-26 Non-Conference Slate
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has long been known for her fearless scheduling—and the upcoming 2025-26 season is no exception. Staley’s approach to building a competitive out-of-conference lineup remains firm: tough games, wherever and whenever they can be played.
On Thursday, the Gamecocks officially added another road contest to their growing non-conference schedule. South Carolina will travel to Tampa on December 18th to face South Florida at the Yuengling Center, completing a home-and-home series between the two programs.
The first matchup of that series took place last season in Columbia, where Staley’s squad defeated Jose Fernandez’s Bulls, 78-62, at Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina’s veteran core—Te-Hina Paopao, Sania Feagin, Bree Hall—and standout freshman Joyce Edwards combined for 50 points in that victory.
But that South Florida trip is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Staley continues to build one of the nation’s most ambitious schedules.
As always, South Carolina will renew its in-state rivalry with Clemson, this time hosting the Tigers in Columbia. Another marquee matchup will take the Gamecocks to Los Angeles, where they’ll face Southern Cal. In return, USC (California) is expected to travel east to face South Carolina in Greenville the following season.
The Gamecocks also anticipate a road test in this year’s SEC/ACC Challenge, since they hosted Duke last season. While the opponent has not yet been revealed, Staley is preparing for another high-caliber challenge.
Another major highlight of the schedule will be South Carolina’s participation in the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. The round-robin tournament will feature Duke, UCLA, and Texas. The matchup with Texas, although both programs are SEC members, will count as a non-conference game.
While several games have been confirmed, more announcements are expected. Notably, no word yet on whether the annual heavyweight clash between South Carolina and UConn will be renewed for the upcoming season. Staley is still finalizing the rest of her team’s non-conference calendar.
With each new addition, one thing remains clear: Dawn Staley doesn’t back down from big games.
