The NCAA Tournament selection committee unveiled its first in-season look at the top 16 seeds on Friday, positioning South Carolina as the No. 3 overall team in the nation—a ranking that carries significant implications for the Gamecocks’ postseason path.
The Top Four Seeds Take Shape
The committee’s initial bracket preview established the four No. 1 seeds as UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, with the Gamecocks slotted third in the overall seeding hierarchy.
The reveal arrived with dramatic timing, dropping just hours before South Carolina’s critical SEC showdown against LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The No. 3 Gamecocks (24-2, 10-1 SEC) and No. 6 Tigers (22-3, 8-3 SEC) tipped off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC in what many considered a potential preview of deeper tournament matchups.
Regional Assignments and Tournament Structure
The 2026 NCAA Tournament will feature two regional sites—Sacramento, California, and Fort Worth, Texas—with the Final Four and national championship game scheduled for Phoenix, Arizona.
In this initial bracket projection, South Carolina has been placed in the Fort Worth Region, which would keep the Gamecocks relatively closer to home if seeding holds through Selection Sunday.
Looking Ahead: Two More Reveals Before the Final Bracket
The committee will release one additional top 16 preview on March 1 as the regular season draws to a close, providing teams and fans a clearer picture before the official bracket is unveiled on Selection Sunday, March 15.
These in-season reveals serve as guideposts for how the committee views resumes at critical junctures, though significant movement remains possible based on conference tournament results and late-season performance.
Historical Context: Last Year’s Near-Miss
South Carolina’s No. 3 overall seeding represents a slight adjustment from last season’s positioning. In 2025, the Gamecocks earned the No. 2 overall seed while holding a No. 1 seed within their regional bracket—a distinction that ultimately carried them all the way to the national championship game before falling to UConn.
Head coach Dawn Staley, who has captured three national championships during her tenure, is pursuing her sixth consecutive Final Four appearance this season—a streak that would also mark her eighth Final Four in the last 11 seasons, cementing one of the most dominant runs in modern women’s college basketball history.
What the No. 3 Seed Means
Being slotted as the No. 3 overall seed—rather than the top overall seed—means South Carolina would theoretically face UConn (the No. 1 overall seed) in a potential Final Four matchup if both teams advance and seeding holds. A higher overall seed would have delayed that collision until the championship game.
However, with six weeks remaining in the regular season, conference tournaments still to be played, and another seeding reveal on the horizon, plenty of opportunity remains for movement in either direction.
For now, the committee’s message is clear: South Carolina is firmly among the nation’s elite, positioned for another deep March run with championship aspirations fully intact.
