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South Carolina Gamecocks to Host Southern Jaguars in Women's March Madness First Round
The No. 1 seed Gamecocks will face the No. 16 seed Jaguars at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
Mar. 21, 2026 at 11:05am
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The No. 16 seed Southern University Jaguars defeated Samford 65-53 in the First Four to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament's round of 64. They will now face the No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round of the 2026 women's March Madness tournament. The game will be played at the Gamecocks' home court, Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, March 21 at 1 p.m. ET. The game will air nationally on ABC and stream on ESPN Unlimited.
Why it matters
This first-round matchup features a stark contrast in seeding, with the powerhouse Gamecocks hosting the underdog Jaguars. South Carolina is looking to make another deep tournament run, while Southern will try to pull off a massive upset on the road.
The details
The Jaguars earned their spot in the tournament by defeating Samford in the First Four. They will now face a daunting task in taking on the top-seeded Gamecocks, who are hosting the first-round game at their home arena. South Carolina is led by a talented roster and will be heavily favored to advance to the second round.
- The South Carolina vs. Southern first-round game will be played on Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET.
- The Jaguars defeated Samford 65-53 in the First Four on Thursday to earn their spot in the round of 64.
The players
South Carolina Gamecocks
The No. 1 seed in the 2026 women's NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks are one of the top programs in the country and are hosting the first-round game at their home arena in Columbia.
Southern University Jaguars
The No. 16 seed in the tournament, the Jaguars earned their spot in the round of 64 by defeating Samford in the First Four.
The takeaway
This first-round matchup between the top-seeded Gamecocks and the underdog Jaguars sets the stage for a potential David vs. Goliath upset, as Southern looks to pull off a massive surprise on the road against the tournament's No. 1 overall seed.
