The four-time reigning SEC Champions, the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks, officially know who they will face and where for the upcoming season. The conference revealed the schedules on Tuesday. In their quest to defend the crown, Dawn Staley and her squad will play each of its 16 conference games with healthy competition of ranked challengers. Of the seven teams that finished in the 2024-25 final rankings, four are set to visit Columbia. South Carolina will also host two additional teams that reached March Madness, including the top-20 Alabama team that the Gamecocks will face more than once next season.
At home, South Carolina will host Texas, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. All three of those teams finished top-20 last year. In addition, the Gamecocks will host NCAA Tournament qualifiers Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Also, on the home slate is Georgia and Missouri.
Road games are just as competitive, with the Gamecocks traveling to face final top-15 teams LSU, Oklahoma, and Kentucky, as well as tournament-tested Arkansas. South Carolina will also travel to Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M, and Alabama. It's a tough road tour, but the defending champions are battle-tested and ready.
The Lady Gamecocks are coming off of another dominant run through SEC play, having won nine regular-season titles in the past 12 years. Dawn Staley's program has not finished outside of the top two in several years, and has back-to-back seasons showcasing their grip on the SEC.
Head coach Dawn Staley holds a .793 SEC winning percentage in the conference, second only to the legendary Pat Summit. Staley's 214 conference wins also only trail Andy Landers at 273 and Summit at 306 in SEC history.
The 2026 SEC season begins on Thursday, January 1, and will conclude with the SEC Tournament held between March 4-8 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. Dates, times, and tv details are yet to be announced, but one thing is for certain: the road to the SEC title still runs through Columbia.