Gamecocks to Spokane? Latest bracketology projects big travel for Dawn Staley’s team
Despite South Carolina’s loss to UConn on Sunday, the Gamecocks are still projected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN’s Charlie Creme’s latest bracketology.
However, there’s a bit of a twist for the Gamecocks:
Since they’ve lost three games (and, because of that, some of the geographical perks afforded to the very top seeds), they’re now projected to play in Spokane, Washington for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds instead of Birmingham, Alabama.
The Gamecocks, as the No. 1 seed in the Spokane 4 region, would face the winner of the First Four game between No. 16 seeds UNC Greensboro and High Point.
Assuming South Carolina wins that game, they’d face the winner of No. 8 seed Illinois and No. 9 seed South Dakota State in the second round. Both the first and second round games would still be played in Colonial Life Arena.
If South Carolina were to advance through the first and second rounds, though, they’d have to travel to the other side of the country to Spokane as opposed to a quick five to six hour drive to Birmingham, per ESPN’s projection.
Creme has previously projected South Carolina to play in the Birmingham region in each iteration of his weekly bracketology this season.
As recently as Sunday the NCAA Tournament selection committee had South Carolina pegged as a No. 1 seed in the Birmingham 2 region. But a loss to UConn could change things, at least in ESPN’s eyes.
There’s still plenty of basketball to be played for the Gamecocks so projections, as well as where they rank in the selection committee’s Top 16, is bound to change between now and Selection Sunday. However, if the projections played out over the next few weeks it would be the first time in a few years the South Carolina has had to take a long road trip for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.
The NCAA Tournament switched to regional rounds (Sweet 16 and Elite 8) being held in two locations instead of four in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Last year, South Carolina played in the Albany regional (a four-ish hour flight) and in 2023 the Gamecocks played in the Greenville region (an hour and a half up the road).
The morale of the story? The Gamecocks haven’t had to leave the east coast in quite some time for the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
All that being said, when South Carolina won its first national tournament in program history the Gamecocks hosted the first and second rounds in Columbia, SC before taking a trip to Stockton, California for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.
So travel may not be a problem for the Gamecocks, but it would be a change based on their recent history.
This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Gamecocks to Spokane? Latest bracketology projects big travel for Dawn Staley’s team."
