From the Desk of Jeremiah Donati, No. 10

DEAR GAMECOCKS:

We’re halfway through the fall semester here at Carolina and there is one thing for certain, there is no fan base that is more passionate than the Gamecocks.

This year, we’re currently leading the nation in attendance in men’s soccer and women’s soccer, we’re top 15 in attendance for volleyball, and this Saturday, we’ll continue our record streak with our 13^th straight sellout at Williams-Brice Stadium. This is only possible because of the passion and commitment of our amazing fans.

As we enter the fall and winter sports crossover season, I wanted to take time to update you on all the great things happening with South Carolina Athletics.

EQUESTRIAN RIDES HIGH

Congrats to head coach Carol Gwin and our equestrian team who are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in the latest NCEA polls after a thrilling 10-9 victory over then- No. 2 SMU on September 26. The reigning SEC Champions take on No. 4 Texas A&M this Friday at 11 a.m. at One Wood Farm.

FUTURE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

By now, you have likely heard that along with the University of Miami, we have mutually agreed to cancel the two-game series originally scheduled for 2026 and 2027. With both the ACC and SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule, this change made sense for both programs. We are actively pursuing a third non-conference opponent for the 2026 season.

Back in September, the SEC announced our future SEC opponents. While we won’t know dates for the 2026 season until December, we look forward to hosting Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Texas A&M next season.

SOCCER SUCCESS

Our men’s and women’s soccer teams are having a terrific fall. Our women’s team is 10-1-4 on the season and are currently ranked No. 6 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. The men’s squad is 7-4-2 on the season. There’s still time to catch a game in person at Stone Stadium as the teams enter the final stretch of the regular season to improve their record for post-season consideration.

ALL-SPORTS REUNION

I look forward to welcoming back our former Gamecock student-athletes at this year’s All-Sports Reunion, November 21-22. The gathering will include a reunion on Friday night before Saturday’s football game vs. Coastal Carolina. If you are a former student-athlete who did not receive the official email invite, please reach out to Shelley Leavitt, Lettermen’s Association Coordinator at sleavitt@mailbox.sc.edu.

NEED PLANS BEFORE GAME DAY

If you’re in town on Fridays before a home football game, there are a lot of things you can do to start your weekend early. I encourage you to stop by the Gameday Store located inside the Bignon Gameday Center to get the latest Gamecock gear, join one of our tours at Williams-Brice Stadium or stop by the Gamecock Gastro Pub inside the Meredith Family 2001 Club to enjoy a drink and appetizers while overlooking the field.

LEAVE AS YOU’RE MEANT TO BE

The University of South Carolina is a special place. Once again, the University has been ranked #1 for First-Year Student Experience and ranked as the Best International Business Program by U.S. News & World Report! I applaud the work of the faculty and staff on campus who prepare our student-athletes everyday to leave this University as they’re meant to be.

SUPPORT THE SCORE ACT

As we continue to navigate the new era of college athletics, there is a growing need for Congress to get involved and help us stabilize our future. I encourage you to learn about the proposed Student Compensation and Opportunity Through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act that is making its way through Congress. This legislation would provide – amongst other things – critical antitrust protection and limited liability protection that will enable us to make and enforce rules that govern our enterprises. By creating a national standard and pre-empting a patchwork of state laws we would ensure a better and more sustainable future that would protect all schools.

The SCORE Act would also provide scholarship protections for student-athletes and extend medical coverage, mental health resources, academic support and degree completion opportunities. It would also provide much needed oversight of athlete agents who represent our student-athletes. I encourage you to contact your representative and ask them to vote YES on this bill. For more information on how you can help spread the message, click the button below.

LEAGUE HONORS

I want to congratulate our student-athletes who have received league honors since my last newsletter:

• Ethan Ballek – Men’s Soccer: Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week (announced Sept. 16)
• William Nilsson – Men’s Soccer: Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week (announced Sept. 16)
• Eila Galitky – Women’s Golf: SEC Women’s Golfer of the Week (announced Sept. 17)
• Frankie Harris – Men’s Golf: SEC Men’s Golfer of the Week (announced Sept. 17)
• August Petersson – Men’s Golf: SEC Freshman of the Week (announced Sept. 17)
• Bryan Thomas Jr. – Football: SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (announced Sept. 29)
• Mika Habel – Men’s Soccer: Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week (announced Sept. 30)
• Salma Elbadra – Cross Country: SEC Women’s Runner of the Week (announced Oct. 7)
• Sophie Verzyl – Women’s Diving: SEC Diver of the Week (announced Oct. 14)

I look forward to seeing you at our events this weekend and at Colonial Life Arena next week as we unofficially tip off basketball season with GarNET & Black Madness.

FOREVER TO THEE!