CBS Sports personality Jon Rothstein is reporting that a neutral-site doubleheader will be played next season in Charlotte. South Carolina basketball will take on the Virginia Tech Hokies, and the Florida Gators will face the Virginia Cavaliers. The doubleheader will take place at the Spectrum Center (home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets) on November 10th. Rothstein released his report in a joint effort with FanDuel.
While there has not been an official announcement from any of the involved parties, this event should draw considerable fan interest. Charlotte is a basketball-hungry city that has been cursed to watch bad Hornets basketball for years, and all four schools involved in the doubleheader are within driving distance of the city, meaning that fans from each school likely will make the trip.
There is not yet word on if tickets for the matchups will be sold separately or as a two-game bundle like the NCAA Tournament’s early rounds.
For the South Carolina basketball program, this game is an opportunity. Not only will the Gamecocks have the chance to play a quality opponent, but they will also have the chance to show the college basketball world that the program is trending upward. Step one in doing this, however, is actually to trend the program upward.
Coach Lamont Paris will have his work cut out for him in accomplishing this as the program is in a state of disarray after the dismissal of Frank Martin last offseason. A roster full of new faces, a coach new to the “Power 6” landscape, and a fanbase that has been hurt too many times combine for a less-than-enviable position. The SEC is a league that has drastically improved over the last decade, and, therefore, the climb to respectability in the conference is harder than it has ever been.
If the Gamecocks finish this season showing signs of life, put together a productive offseason, and have a good showing in Charlotte, that climb will start looking just a little less daunting.