The South Carolina women's basketball team is gearing up for a big season in 2026-27. Head coach Dawn Staley and her team fell one game short of a national title last season, falling to UCLA in the final.
But which SEC opponents will the Gamecocks face on their quest for a national championship next season? On Tuesday, the SEC revealed home and away opponents for the 2026-27 regular season, including for South Carolina.
The biggest games circled on the Gamecocks' schedule will be against the Oklahoma Sooners, who South Carolina will play during a home-and-home series for 2026-27. The Sooners were the only team to defeat South Carolina on the road during the regular season last year. The Sooners won 94-82 in overtime last season on Jan. 22. Of course, the Gamecocks avenged that loss by taking down the Sooners 94-68 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina will host eight other opponents in the SEC, including ones that finished inside the Top-25 last season in Alabama, Kentucky, LSU and Oklahoma.
Dawn Staley will also get to host the Florida Gators, which is now coached by her old college roommate at Virginia, Tammi Reese. The Gamecocks will also host Arkansas, Auburn and Texas A&M at home during the SEC slate.
The Gamecocks will get some tough road tests outside of Oklahoma. South Carolina will have to go on to road to face teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season, including Ole Miss, Texas and Vanderbilt. The Longhorns made it to the Final Four last season, and the Commodores fell in the Sweet 16.
South Carolina's SEC schedule is set to begin on Thursday, Dec. 31, with tip-off times and broadcast information set to be released as the schedule gets closer. The 2026-27 SEC Tournament will begin on March 3.
There's no question that South Carolina will be challenged in an SEC that's seen much more parity in recent seasons. But under Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have played lights out in conference play. South Carolina has a 229-56 in conference play including just three losses over the last five seasons under Coach Staley.
Wins and losses aside, this 2026-27 Gamecocks team looks like one of the most talented Staley has had in several years. South Carolina will return big-name stars such as Joyce Edwards, Tessa Johnson, Maddy McDaniel and Agot Makeer. The Gamecocks also didn't have a single player enter the transfer portal this offseason. Staley also added huge stars, including Texas transfer Jordan Lee and former Tennessee signee Oliviyah Edwards.
Of course, it is no surprise then that the Gamecocks are already favored before the 2026-27 season has even tipped off. South Carolina has already been projected as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament next season. ESPN has also picked South Carolina as the favorite to win it all next season.
Now that the SEC schedule has come into focus, Staley can start getting her team as ready as possible before the 2026 season begins in November.
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