South Carolina Women’s Basketball Reveals Loaded 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The full non-conference slate for the South Carolina women’s basketball team in the 2025-26 season was officially announced Friday, and it’s packed with big names and familiar faces.
Head coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks will face seven opponents who qualified for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, setting up a challenging test before SEC play begins.
Adding extra intrigue, South Carolina’s opening week will bring back two familiar figures to Colonial Life Arena. Former assistants Winston Gandy (now head coach at Grand Canyon) and Fred Chmiel (head coach at Bowling Green) will both return to Columbia with their new programs.
The schedule also features marquee matchups against Southern Cal at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, a Las Vegas showdown in the Players Era Championship against Duke followed by either UCLA or Texas, and a road battle at Louisville in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Road trips to USF, Florida Gulf Coast, and Coppin State add even more variety to the slate.
Here’s the full non-conference schedule, with home games in bold:
- Nov. 3 – Grand Canyon
- Nov. 7 – Bowling Green
- Nov. 11 – Clemson
- Nov. 15 – Southern Cal (at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles)
- Nov. 19 – Winthrop
- Nov. 23 – Queens
- Nov. 26 – Duke (Players Era Championship, Las Vegas)
- Nov. 27 – UCLA/Texas (Players Era Championship, Las Vegas)
- Dec. 4 – at Louisville (ACC/SEC Challenge)
- Dec. 7 – NC Central
- Dec. 14 – Penn State
- Dec. 18 – at USF
- Dec. 20 – at Florida Gulf Coast
- Dec. 28 – Providence
- Jan. 18 – at Coppin State
With a schedule that blends high-profile showdowns, reunion storylines, and NCAA Tournament-caliber opponents, Staley’s squad will once again be battle-tested by the time SEC play tips off.
