Senior day. Sellout. ESPN in town. What fans need to know about USC vs. Vols showdown
The regular-season home finale for South Carolina women’s basketball Sunday will have plenty of pomp and circumstance.
The No. 1 Gamecocks, competing in their 11th Top-25 matchup of the 2021-22 season, host the No. 12 Tennessee Lady Volunteers in Colonial Life Arena at 1 p.m in a game televised by ABC. ESPN’s “College GameDay” is coming to town, South Carolina will honor its seniors and the game itself is a sellout with major SEC implications.
“This is just part of our an ongoing process of celebrating the sport,” ESPN senior vice president of production Mike Shiffman told The State. “The opportunity with the game being on ABC, which generally has a broader audience, is a great opportunity to reach fans that may not be as familiar with these two teams, or with what South Carolina is doing as the number one team in the country and what what’s been built there. All around, it’s a testament to the product itself, and we can’t wait to celebrate it.”
“College GameDay” will broadcast its pregame show from inside the arena at noon Sunday. Featuring Elle Duncan, Carolyn Peck, Holly Rowe, Andraya Carter and Stephanie White, the show will set up along the baseline. Rebecca Lobo, who was slated to appear on the show, will no longer make the trip, per an ESPN spokesperson.
On Friday, USC announced a sellout crowd of 18,000 for the game, which will be broadcast on ABC to mark South Carolina’s first appearance on the network. South Carolina will honor four players on senior day — Destanni Henderson, Victaria Saxton, Destiny Littleton and Elysa Wesolek — for the last regular season game in Columbia.
With a win against Tennessee in their regular-season home finale on Sunday, the Gamecocks would be guaranteed at least a share of the 2021-22 SEC regular-season crown.
Two conference games remain for a one-loss South Carolina after the Tennessee game. With tiebreaker wins over LSU and Florida, which both have three losses in conference play, South Carolina would clinch the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament with a win over the Lady Vols.
In a situation where the Gamecocks beat Tennessee but drop their final two games — and either LSU or Florida win out — that team and USC would be named SEC regular-season champions.
The Lady Vols lost to Alabama by 10 points on Thursday, and leading scorer Jordan Horston left the game with an elbow injury in the fourth quarter. That loss adds pressure for Tennessee in its trip to Colonial Life Arena. Should the Vols also lose to South Carolina, their shot at the SEC regular-season title would be gone.
ESPN ‘Gameday’ in town
Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. for ticket holders to arrive early and watch “College GameDay” from their seats.
Shiffman on Thursday said plans for special guests hadn’t yet been solidified, but he was hopeful USC head coach Dawn Staley would be available for a live interview.
Shiffman didn’t rule out the possibility of other special guests joining the program — head football coach Shane Beamer has already publicized on Twitter he’ll be attending the USC student government tailgate before Sunday’s game.
“One of the beauties of the show is (to) be in the moment and reacting,” Shiffman said. “If another coach or player wants to come by the set, we have more than enough room to make for folks to be nimble and produce the most urgent and exciting hour possible.”
Shiffman also said the show will feature an in-depth story on Gamecocks star Aliyah Boston’s hometown in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Rowe traveled to Boston’s home over the summer, and the story will be broadcast during “College GameDay.”
The show will begin its set-up process before the South Carolina men’s basketball game against LSU on Saturday and complete it after the men’s game concludes. The show will then break down for Sunday’s tip-off, which immediately follows the broadcast, and set up again for a live halftime broadcast on the court.
“We want to be where the fans are, where the best atmosphere is,” Shiffman said. “Setting up inside as the fans are coming in works out perfectly in this case for both the show and the fans.”
South Carolina tweeted a color scheme plan for the sellout crowd, with certain sections dressed in garnet and others in white.
South Carolina vs. Tennessee basketball: What time, channel
Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (24-1, 12-1 SEC) vs. No. 12 Tennessee Lady Volunteers (21-5, 10-3 SEC)
When: Sunday at 1 p.m.
Where: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
Watch: ABC
This story was originally published February 19, 2022 at 1:30 PM.
