South Carolina Basketball: Season opener in Las Vegas made official

South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley said a few weeks ago that the Gamecocks would be opening their season in Las Vegas in November. However, the three-time national champ also said that their original opponent for the game backed out and hinted that she believed teams were afraid to play USC.

It didn't take long before a replacement game began to be reported as several outlets announced that the opener had been set. On Monday, though, that game became official as the South Carolina Gamecocks now have the Michigan Wolverines on the schedule for the season opener in Las Vegas.

The game will be at the T-Mobile Arena (home of the NHL's Las Vegas Golden Knights) and will be part of the Hall of Fame Series. The other game on the men's side will be between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns.

Last season, the Wolverines finished in the middle of the pack in a good Big 10 conference. Finishing with a 9-9 league record, Michigan won 20 games and then lost in overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to the Kansas Jayhawks in the 8-9 game.

Kim Barnes Arico has been in maize and blue for quite a while, leading her team into her 13th season this November. Like Dawn Staley is with the South Carolina basketball program, she is the most accomplished coach in the program's history.

The opener will be a solid test for the Gamecocks as they look to start their "Repeat Tour" after women's college basketball's 10th undefeated season in the history of the sport. Most believe Carolina to be the favorite to bring home the title in the 2024-2025 campaign, but some have fallen into the trap of offseason hype and picked the "other USC" to take out the Gamecocks.