Gamecock Beach Volleyball to Join Big 12 Conference

IRVING, Texas (Sept. 24, 2025) – South Carolina Beach Volleyball will have a new home as the Gamecocks have joined the Big 12 Conference as an affiliate member, effective immediately.

South Carolina will join Boise State and Florida State in the transition as the trio of teams accompany Arizona, Arizona State and TCU to make up the Big 12 Conference beach volleyball league.

The Gamecocks are led by first-year head coach Jose Loiola who joined the program in May. South Carolina previously competed in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) alongside Big 12 newcomer Florida State.

The Garnet & Black have two NCAA tournament appearances in program history (2017, 2018). South Carolina also boasted a streak of being ranked in 72 consecutive polls in the national rankings dating from March 2017 to May 2023.

TCU hosted the inaugural Big 12 Beach Volleyball Championship in 2025 en route to winning the beach volleyball championship. The 2026 Big 12 Beach Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Arizona at Bear Down Beach.

South Carolina begins preseason fall competition on Saturday, Oct. 11. Loiola and the Gamecocks will release the 2026 regular season slate at a later time.