Gamecocks WBB adds Duke to schedule. Here’s the known non-conference slate
Another big game on South Carolina women’s basketball’s 2026-27 schedule has been unveiled.
The Gamecocks will play at Duke on Dec. 3 as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, USC announced Friday. South Carolina and Duke matched up in the ACC/SEC Challenge back in 2024. The Gamecocks won that matchup 81-70 in overtime.
South Carolina is 10-2 vs. Duke in the all-time series. The Gamecocks beat Duke last year in the Players Era Championship event in Las Vegas. This will be South Carolina’s first trip to Durham since 2023.
South Carolina is 3-0 in ACC/SEC Challenge games. Last year, the Gamecocks played on the road at Louisville and escaped with a close 79-77 win over the ranked Cardinals.
A look at what we know about the non-conference slate
South Carolina will announce its entire schedule closer to the fall. Last year, the Gamecocks announced their full schedule in mid-August.
That being said, several games have already been announced just like Friday’s ACC/SEC Challenge.
South Carolina will open its season in Paris on Nov. 2. The Gamecocks will take Alicia Tournebize and Justine Loubens home to play Maryland in the Oui Play event. On Nov. 15, South Carolina will face Southern Cal in the second game of “The Real SC” series. Last year’s matchup was in Los Angeles, but the game will be in Greenville this season. South Carolina will also renew its regular season rivalry with UConn in the 2026-27 season. The Gamecocks will play the Huskies on Nov. 24 in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Connecticut.
There are a few previously announced matchups where the dates of the games are still to be determined. For example, South Carolina is set to play North Carolina in the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte at some point early in the season. The Gamecocks are also still slated to play in the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.
South Carolina is also expected to play at home vs. Florida Gulf Coast and a road games at Providence, per contracts obtained by The State last year. Now, it is possible these games might not show up on the schedule when its eventually announced if both teams decide it’s mutually beneficial to delay it. Regardless, both games are the second half of a home-and-home series so they should be played eventually.
Clemson and South Carolina play every year so it’s not a stretch to assume they’ll continue the rivalry matchup. The Gamecocks are due for a trip to the Upstate in the 2026-27 season. It should be noted the game contract for last year's South Carolina-Clemson game wasn’t finalized until June 4, per documents obtained by The State last year.
South Carolina’s known non-conference games
- Monday, Nov. 2: vs. Maryland in Oui Play event in Paris, France
- Sunday, Nov. 15: vs Southern Cal in The Real SC in Greenville
- Tuesday, Nov. 24: vs UConn in Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Connecticut
- Thursday, Dec. 3: at NC State (ACC/SEC challenge)
- DATE TBD: vs. North Carolina in Ally Tipoff in Charlotte
- DATE TBD: Players Era Championship in Las Vegas
- DATE TBD: vs. Florida Gulf Coast
- DATE TBD: at Providence
- DATE TBD: at Clemson
This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 10:36 AM.
