From the Desk of Jeremiah Donati, No. 13
South Carolina Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati discusses the hot topics around Gamecock Athletics
DEAR GAMECOCKS:
I hope 2026 is off to a great start for you. A little over a month ago, marked my first full year in my role as Athletics Director at the University of South Carolina. It has been a busy year and a year of unprecedented change here on campus and across the college landscape. I thought I would share a few reflections before I provide some of my monthly updates.
- 2025 marked a historic watershed moment in college sports with the House vs. NCAA landmark settlement. This officially ushered in the era of student-athlete compensation through institutional revenue sharing with athletes in addition to Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) opportunities. It is difficult to overstate the impact of these realities and how they completely changed the landscape overnight across the country. Since its inception this new era has forever altered our business and operating models and the ways in which coaches lead their teams and the ways we recruit. This all continues to evolve in real-time here on campus and amongst our peers.
- As every week passes I feel even more grateful we have started construction on the Williams-Brice Reimagined Project. These massive projects are never easy for a lot of reasons and come with a lot of tradeoffs – but it is absolutely critical for the future of our athletics program. The improvements we are making will positively impact our beloved fans for generations and provide our football team and our other programs critical resources they would not have otherwise realized.
- On July 1 we will officially transition to Nike. This change in apparel providers will show up in more ways than I think we initially realized. It has given me and my team an opportunity to take a step back and think through how we can capitalize on this moment and thoughtfully better position our Gamecock Athletics brand here on campus, locally and nationally. It has also given us the opportunity to sharply define what it means to be a part of this program whether you are a fan, an alum or a student-athlete. In the coming months, we will share updates with you on this process.
- While we have accomplished a lot this past year, we have a tremendous amount of opportunities and challenges to navigate in the short and long term. We need to continue to invest in our programs while raising our standards. We need to find new revenue sources and a sustainable path in this new era in college athletics to ensure we can be consistently competitive in the years to come. All of this is possible. This comes with a great deal of partnership and teamwork from many people and I am grateful to have them on OUR team.
There’s been a lot of great things happening with the Gamecocks since my last newsletter. This month marks a busy time in college athletics as our winter sports enter the final stretch of their regular season and our spring sports begin their competitions. I hope that you can find some time to come out and cheer on our teams throughout the spring. Check out some of the things that have been happening in Gamecock Country.
WILLIAMS-BRICE REIMAGINED UPDATE
If you’ve driven past Williams-Brice Stadium recently, you’ve probably seen that a lot of demolition has occurred in just a short time. The construction team is hard at work ensuring that Phase One of the project will be complete when we kick off the season in September. Phase One is largely focusing on the West Main and East Ground concourses as well as building the shell for our eventual Student Club. I encourage you to check out the video from Greg Hughes, University of South Carolina alum and CEO of Contract Construction as he provides an update on the project.
This project is designed to enhance the game day experience for all fans, while honoring the tradition of Gamecock football. It is also designed to increase our premium seating options, as our current offerings are far behind our SEC peers. We have seen tremendous support for the premium offerings so far, with 26 of the 42 new suites already having commitments. Most of these commitments have been from Gamecock Club members who, on average, have been members for over 27 consecutive years.
I encourage you to check out our Williams-Brice Reimagined website for more information on the project as well as an interest form for our new seat offerings.
RECORD SUPPORT FOR THE GAMECOCK CLUB
While college athletics continues to evolve, one constant here at Carolina remains the same: the passion of Gamecock supporters. During 2025, the Gamecock Club once again surpassed historic benchmarks, setting a record with over 28,000 members and over $130 million raised in support of our student-athletes. In addition, this past year, our major gifts team closed its four largest gifts in department history.
Everything we do wouldn’t be possible without your continued support. On behalf of our student-athletes, coaches and athletics department staff, I truly appreciate your continued generosity and commitment to the success of the Gamecocks.
GAMECOCKS ARE SUPER BOWL CHAMPS
This past weekend, former Gamecock football student-athletes, Ernest Jones IV and Nick Emmanwori earned Super Bowl rings as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots. Congratulations to Ernest and Nick on this tremendous accomplishment!
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL KEEPS ON ROLLING
Our women’s basketball team continues to perform at the highest level and are now 24-2 on the season and 10-1 in conference play. They are currently ranked no. 3 in the country and will be in Baton Rouge on Saturday to take on no. 6 LSU. There are only two more chances to catch them at home during the regular season. If you don’t have your tickets yet, be sure to get yours to help us pack Colonial Life Arena!
GAMECOCK FOOTBALL ROSTER UPDATE
Head coach Shane Beamer and our football staff have been busy this offseason rebuilding the roster for the 2026 football season. South Carolina is one of only ten teams in the nation to bring in a top 20 high school and transfer portal class. Their high school class has achieved the highest average high school rating in program history and the transfer portal class brings in 77 years of combined college football experience. It’s never too early to make your plans to catch a game in 2026.
BASEBALL OPENING DAY IS TODAY
Excitement and anticipation is in the air as today is Opening Day at Founders Park! With only 10 returners from last year’s squad, Coach Mainieri has brought in two dozen transfers from the portal or junior college that will give the team a veteran presence who can make a difference in the lineup right away. I hope you can join us at Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park this season. Be sure to check out all of the new things that are coming to Founders Park t with our 2026 Fan Guide.
WOMEN’S TENNIS LATE-NIGHT THRILLER
Congratulations to head coach Kevin Epley and our women’s tennis team who claimed four singles victories in a comeback thriller to upset no. 21 Clemson 4-3 on Tuesday night at the Carolina Tennis Center! The team is back in action on Saturday with a pair of matches vs. Charlotte and SC State.
DOWN GOES NO. 1
Congratulations to head coach Carol Gwin and our equestrian team who started their spring home slate with a bang, taking down no. 1 Auburn, 10-9 on Saturday! They’re back in action tomorrow morning taking on the new no. 1 Georgia at One Wood Farm.
SWINGING INTO SOFTBALL SEASON
Under second year head coach and reining D1 Softball’s National Coach of the Year, Ashley Chastain Woodard, the team opened their season last weekend with the Gamecock Invitational. Her 20th ranked team is back in action today and Saturday with four games as part of the Carolina Classic. If you haven’t made it out to Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field, I encourage you to catch a game this season.
COCKY TROT 5K
We’re excited that the Cocky Trot is back for 2026! While the course will be altered due to ongoing construction for the Williams-Brice Reimagined project, our team is actively working to ensure the same great experience for all participants. I hope you can join us on Saturday, April 25 for this event.
WOMEN’S SWIM & DIVE SUCCESS
Congratulations to our women’s swimming and diving team who recently finished their regular season with a win over Georgia Tech. With the win, the team finished the 2025-26 dual meet season 7-0, marking their first undefeated season since 1985. Congratulations to our student-athletes and best of luck as they compete in the SEC Championship in Knoxville next week.
SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM
Our Gamecock student-athletes ended the Fall 2025 semester with a departmental grade point average of 3.51. This is the second highest semester departmental GPA in program history and the 38th consecutive semester with a departmental GPA above 3.0. Our student-athletes work hard at their athletic craft and in the classroom. I appreciate their hard work and the efforts of our academic services staff for the outstanding support they provide our student-athletes.
IT’S ALMOST BEACH SEASON
While it may not feel like summer yet, our beach volleyball team is in final preparations for the start of their season under first year head coach Jose Loiola. The team will open their season in Jacksonville, FL next weekend and begins their home slate on February 27 with the Wheeler Beach Bash. Beach Volleyball matches are free and we will soon be announcing some new and exciting amenities for fans this season. It is going to be an awesome time on the beach!
GAMECOCKS GIVE BACK
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, more than 100 of our student-athletes participated in our annual Cocky’s All Sports Camp. This community service event allows our student-athletes to give back to youth in our community through various activities related to a variety of sports. I want to thank our staff and student-athletes for putting on this great event for our community.
STUDENT-ATHLETE HONORS
Congratulations to our student-athletes who have recently received conference honors.
- Amy Riordan – Women’s Swimming: SEC Women’s Swimmer of the Week (announced Jan. 13)
- Andrew Salvodon – Men’s Track & Field: SEC Men’s Freshman of the Week (announced Jan. 27)
- Jaouad Khchina – Men’s Track & Field: SEC Men’s Runner of the Week (announced Jan. 27)
- Jathiyah Muhammad – Women’s Track & Field: SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (announced Jan. 13) & co-SEC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (announced Feb. 3)
- Joyce Edwards – Women’s Basketball: SEC Player of the Week (announced Dec. 23) & SEC co-Player of the Week (announced Feb. 10)
- Lucas da Silva – Men’s Tennis: SEC Player of the Week (announced Feb. 21)
- Paul Barbier Gazeu – Men’s Tennis: Two SEC Freshman of the Week Honors (announced Jan. 21 & Feb. 21)
- Sophie Verzyl – Women’s Diving: Two SEC Women’s Diver of the Week Honors (announced Jan. 13 & Jan. 27)
- Zaya Akins – Women’s Track & Field: SEC Women’s Runner of the Week (announced Jan. 27)
I want to thank you, our fans, for embracing me and my family over the last year. I have quickly realized why everyone calls this place HOME. Our department would not exist without you and I am forever thankful for your continued support and all we will be able to accomplish in the coming months together. I hope to see you at some upcoming events.
FOREVER TO THEE!
