South Carolina to Open Season with High-Profile Exhibition vs. UNC in Atlanta

South Carolina women’s basketball is kicking off the 2025–26 season in style — with an exhibition showdown against North Carolina at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The matchup will take place on Thursday, October 30 at 6:00 p.m., serving as the opening game of a special double-header event. The night continues with a men’s basketball clash between Auburn and Memphis. Tickets for the double-header go on sale August 8 at 10:00 a.m.

Gamecock fans can also join a special “FAM Bus Trip” to the game, with packages — including transportation and a game ticket — available now for $125.

The event is being organized by Complete Sports Management, the group behind last year’s Memphis exhibition, the Real SC series, and the Aflac Oui-Play event.

South Carolina and North Carolina share a storied history on the court, having faced each other 22 times. The series is currently tied 11-11. Despite the even split, the two teams have only met once in the regular season since 2013 — a 66-58 win for South Carolina in Chapel Hill.

However, they’ve become familiar foes in March Madness. The Tar Heels beat South Carolina in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, but the Gamecocks bounced back with victories in 2015, 2022 (both in Greensboro), and most recently in 2024 in Columbia.

For years, the two teams have held closed-door preseason scrimmages. This upcoming exhibition marks the first official, public preseason matchup between them.

South Carolina has yet to confirm if an additional exhibition game will be played in Columbia, as was done last season.

The Gamecocks’ early nonconference schedule is already filling up with major matchups. They’ll travel to Los Angeles to face Southern Cal on November 15 and head to Louisville on December 4 for the ACC/SEC Challenge. The team will also visit South Florida on December 18 and Florida Gulf Coast on December 20.

They’ll close out the nonconference slate at home against Providence on December 28.

Over Thanksgiving, South Carolina will compete in the high-profile Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, taking on Duke and then either Texas or UCLA.

The annual rivalry game with Clemson hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, but all signs point to the Tigers being the Gamecocks’ eighth nonconference opponent. That leaves roughly six additional games still to be scheduled.