South Carolina’s women’s basketball program will stage an outdoor exhibition on September 27, taking on College of Charleston at Credit One Stadium in Charleston. The game marks the latest chapter in a series of high‑profile showcase matches that blend competition with name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for student‑athletes.
The contest is part of the LinkU Invitational, a tripleheader that also features men’s and women’s teams from The Citadel, Vanderbilt and Virginia. Organizers have turned the event into a festival of college basketball, drawing attention to the growing appetite for regular‑season games outside traditional gymnasiums.
Credit One Stadium, best known as a tennis venue, will host the match on a temporary basketball surface. The two schools have met 26 times historically, with the bulk of those encounters occurring in the 1970s and 1990s, making the upcoming clash a nostalgic nod as much as a contemporary test.
Coaching Changes Shape the Matchup
South Carolina will be guided by veteran coach Dawn Staley, who has become a fixture of the Gamecocks’ success. Across the court, Amanda Butler, the newly appointed head coach of the Cougars, will make her debut after stints at Florida and Clemson, adding a fresh storyline to the rivalry.
The exhibition fits a broader pattern in which marquee NIL games have become a staple of the preseason calendar. Earlier this year the Gamecocks faced Rutgers, Memphis and North Carolina in high‑visibility matchups that highlighted the commercial appeal of women’s college basketball.
South Carolina still has two exhibition games left before the regular season gives way to a slate that begins on December 31. The team is slated for a home‑and‑home series with Oklahoma, with contests scheduled for January 14 and February 8, while return matches against Penn State and Grand Canyon are penciled in for the 2027‑28 season.
In November, South Carolina’s marketing arm will help organize the PowHER Player Classic, an HBCU women’s basketball tournament in Columbia. The event, arranged by Rae Rose Media, underscores the university’s expanding role in curating basketball experiences beyond its own program.