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South Carolina women’s basketball lands new opponent for season opener, replacing BYU

Jeremiah Holloway
·2 min read

The Gamecocks will begin their regular season on Nov. 7, just as they originally planned.

South Carolina will start the regular season against East Tennessee State at Colonial Life Arena, replacing the previously scheduled game against BYU, the school announced Wednesday. The game against ETSU will tip at 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

“The Gamecocks will celebrate their 2021-22 season accomplishments prior to that game, including unveiling National Champion and SEC Regular-Season Champion banners,” the school said.

The Gamecocks open practice for the new season on Wednesday.

Head coach Dawn Staley elected earlier in September to cancel the game against the BYU Cougars amid the controversy over alleged racist remarks made from fans at a volleyball game against Duke.

BYU and South Carolina originally had a home-and-home series worked out for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but it was ended by Staley’s decision.

“As a head coach, my job is to do what’s best for my players and staff,” Staley said in a press release. “The incident at BYU has led me to reevaluate our home-and-home, and I don’t feel that this is the right time for us to engage in this series.”

“Dawn and I have discussed her thoughts on the situation,” athletic director Ray Tanner added in the statement. “I support Dawn and all of our coaches in their right to schedule games and opponents that are best for their teams.”

USC will play a preseason game on Oct. 31 against Benedict College before beginning its non-conference schedule. SEC play for the Gamecocks begins on Dec. 29 at home against Texas A&M.

SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2022-23 SCHEDULE

  • Oct. 31: home vs. Benedict (exhibition)

  • Nov. 7: home vs. ETSU

  • Nov. 11: at Maryland

  • Nov. 17: at Clemson

  • Nov. 20: at Stanford

  • Nov. 22: at Cal Poly

  • Nov. 27: home vs. Hampton

  • Nov. 29: home vs. UCLA

  • Dec. 3: home vs. Memphis

  • Dec. 11: home vs. Liberty

  • Dec. 15: at South Dakota State (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

  • Dec. 18: home vs. Charleston Southern

  • Dec 21: home vs. Coastal Carolina

  • Dec. 29: home vs. Texas A&M

  • Jan. 2: at Georgia

  • Jan. 5: home vs. Auburn

  • Jan. 8: at Mississippi State

  • Jan. 12: at Kentucky

  • Jan. 15: home vs. Missouri

  • Jan. 19: at Vanderbilt

  • Jan. 22: home vs. Arkansas

  • Jan. 29: at Alabama

  • Feb. 2: home vs. Kentucky

  • Feb. 5: at UConn

  • Feb. 9: at Auburn

  • Feb. 12: home vs. LSU

  • Feb. 16: home vs. Florida

  • Feb. 19: at Ole Miss

  • Feb. 23: at Tennessee

  • Feb. 26: home vs. Georgia