The Carolinas rivalry is back and this time, it's under the bright lights of Atlanta.
South Carolina women's basketball will face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels in a high-profile exhibition game at State Farm Arena to open the 2025-26 season. The Gamecocks and Tar Heels will tip off at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, as the first game of a double-header event hosted by Complete Sports Management. Auburn and Memphis men's basketball will take the court for the second game.
The two programs have met 22 times in the regular and postseason, with the series being tied 11-11. UNC won the first game in 2014, but South Carolina holds the most recent bragging rights, winning the last three postseason matchups, including a 2024 NCAA Tournament victory in Columbia. In addition, South Carolina and North Carolina have often held a "secret scrimmage" against one another in the preseason.
Tickets for the Atlanta exhibition go on sale on August 8 at 10:00 a.m. and South Carolina fans will have the opportunity to travel in style. The Gamecocks are offering a FAM Bus Trip package which includes round-trip transportation and a game ticket all for $125.
In addition to the exhibition game with North Carolina, several other marquee matchups have been scheduled for non-conference games. The Gamecocks will travel to Southern Cal on November 15, Louisville on December 4 for the ACC/SEC Challenge, as well as hit the road for games against South Florida on December 18 and Florida Gulf Coast on December 20. South Carolina will also host Providence on December 28. The Gamecocks will also compete in the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas where they will face Duke and either Texas or UCLA during Thanksgiving week.
The annual rivalry showdown against Clemson has yet to be announced, but with eight games confirmed, there are still more nonconference games to be announced.