South Carolina Extends Ally Tipoff Commitment Through 2028
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s basketball program is set to remain a fixture at one of the sport’s premier showcases. The Charlotte Sports Foundation announced that the Gamecocks will compete in the Ally Tipoff at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the next three seasons — from 2026 through 2028.
As part of the new agreement, South Carolina will take on North Carolina in 2026, UConn in 2027, and NC State in 2028 — three marquee matchups that promise to draw national attention.
Head coach Dawn Staley expressed her enthusiasm for the extended partnership, saying,
“We couldn’t be more excited to sign on to playing in the Ally Tipoff for the next three seasons. The Charlotte Sports Foundation and Ally know how to create great matchups and then roll out the red carpet for teams, and Charlotte is a tremendous basketball city that will welcome fans from every program and create an amazing atmosphere to play.”
This announcement adds to a string of major scheduling news for the Gamecocks’ 2026–27 season, which already includes two elite non-conference matchups. South Carolina will open the season in Paris against Maryland on Nov. 2, before heading to the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Connecticut, to face UConn on Nov. 24.
South Carolina is no stranger to the Ally Tipoff stage. The Gamecocks competed in last year’s edition of the event, defeating then-No. 9 NC State 71–57 on Nov. 10, 2024. Since its inception, the Ally Tipoff has quickly grown into one of women’s basketball’s most celebrated early-season events, breaking attendance records for regular-season games in North Carolina during each of its first two years. With the backing of Ally, the showcase has become a fan favorite in the Queen City and a highlight on Charlotte’s expanding portfolio of major sporting events.
Currently ranked No. 2 nationally, South Carolina continues its early-season homestand this week. The Gamecocks will host Bowling Green on Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. (SEC Network+), before closing out the stretch with a heated in-state rivalry game against Clemson on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
