General . March 24, 2026

From the Desk of Jeremiah Donati, No. 14

DEAR GAMECOCKS:

March is one of the busiest times in college athletics as our winter sports come to an end and our spring sports are in the midst of their regular seasons. I am forever grateful to our athletics department staff who work tirelessly year-round. Their work ethic and dedication ensure we can continue to provide the best experience possible for our student-athletes and you, our fans.

With so many sports in season over the last month, there’s a lot for us to celebrate. I wanted to share some of the great things that are happening within Gamecock Athletics.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IS DANCING

Our women’s basketball team continues to shine on the national stage! The team captured their fifth straight SEC regular season title and for the sixth consecutive season and 10th time overall, the Gamecocks earned an NCAA Tournament no. 1 seed. On Monday night, they defeated Southern Cal to advance to the Sweet 16, where they will take on Oklahoma on March 28 in Sacramento, California.

I’d also like to give a special shoutout to Raven Johnson, who was selected as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming just the eighth guard and the fifth Gamecock to claim the title.

Congratulations to our entire coaching staff and our women’s basketball student-athletes! You continue to make us proud and we will be cheering you on throughout the remainder of the tournament!

BASEBALL UPDATE

As you may have heard, over the weekend head coach Paul Mainieri stepped away from the baseball program. Monte Lee will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. I would like to personally thank Paul for all of his efforts and for pouring his heart and soul into our student-athletes during his time here. He is a Hall of Fame Coach, but more importantly a first-class human being. Going forward, I encourage our fans to continue to support our student-athletes and our team. Let’s show the outside world that Columbia is a destination for coaches and student-athletes and that we are behind them 100%. The student-athletes, coaches and staff certainly deserve that as we work to restore the program to an elite level of baseball that we have seen in the past.

GIVE 4 GARNET

The University of South Carolina’s annual day of giving, Give 4 Garnet, starts Wednesday at 5:59 a.m. and runs through Thursday at 2 p.m. This year, the Gamecock Club will be directing funds raised during Give 4 Garnet to the Beyond Sports Internship Program. This program is part of the Gamecock Student-Athlete Promise Fund and provides professional development and summer internship initiatives designed to prepare student-athletes for success beyond their playing careers.

Every gift, no matter the size, plays a vital role in elevating Gamecock student-athletes and empowering the next generation of leaders. On behalf of all of Gamecock Athletics, I thank you for your continued support of our student-athletes!

Give Today

GET READY FOR A SPRING PARTY

In case you missed it, we recently announced the Garnet & Black Spring Fest, set for Saturday, April 11. The event will feature a free block party beginning at 1 p.m. outside of Colonial Life Arena featuring live music, autographs from football student-athletes, games for kids and more. That night, Darius Rucker will headline a concert inside Colonial Life Arena with Lauren Alaina! Tickets are going quickly for the concert, so get yours before they are gone.

Purchase Tickets

SOPHIE VERZYL – SEC & NCAA CHAMPION

Last month, senior Sophie Verzyl continued her dominance on the springboard, becoming a three-time SEC Gold Medal winner after capturing first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the SEC Championship. This past week, she became the national runner-up in the 1-meter dive and captured the NCAA Championship in the 3-meter. Congratulations to Sophie!

TRACK & FIELD INDOOR SUCCESS

Head coach Tim Hall and our entire track & field team continue to reach new levels. Our team recently competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships with both the men’s and women’s programs finishing inside the top 10 for the first time since 2005. The men’s team finished seventh and the women’s team finished eighth. In addition to the top 10 finish, the men’s 4×400 meter relay team captured the gold medal while the women’s 4×400 team captured the bronze medal.

Their most recent success at the NCAA Indoor Championships followed up on the team’s success at the SEC Indoor Championships, where the Gamecocks earned two individual gold medals and swept the men’s and women’s distance medley relays. Congratulations to Jathiyah Muhammad (women’s pole vault); Salma Elbadra (women’s indoor mile); Eline Mast, Akala Garrett, Sylvia Chelangat, and Salma Elbadra (women’s distance medley relay); and Edouard Lecrivain, Andrew Salvodon, Kaleb Burroughs, and Jaouad Khchina (men’s distance medley relay) for winning gold at the SEC Indoor Championships.

FOREVER A GAMECOCK

Recently, Gamecock Country lost one of its own with the passing of Hall of Famer and former head coach Lou Holtz. Coach Holtz’s impact not only on South Carolina but all of college football will never be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with Coach Holtz’s family.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL OFF TO A HOT START

First-year head coach Jose Loiola has our beach volleyball team off to a hot start. They are currently 13-3 on the season and ranked 20th in the country, with new rankings coming out later today! If you haven’t made it out to Wheeler Beach this season, I encourage you to come out to our final home match, a double header vs. Stetson on Saturday, April 11. All home matches are free and we’ve added some new fan amenities this year, including the ability to purchase adult beverages for the first time. Come on out to the beach!

BACK ON THE GRIDIRON

Spring practice is underway for our football team. As we prepare for the 2026 season, head coach Shane Beamer recently announced the addition of Matthew Smiley as special teams coordinator and Deion Barnes as edge coach. I’d like to welcome Matthew, Deion and their families to Columbia.

While kickoff for the 2026 season is months away, it’s never too early to make your plans for 2026. The deadline to renew your season tickets is Tuesday, April 14. If you don’t have season tickets yet, you can secure yours for as low as $65 per game, with the ability to spread your tickets and Gamecock Club membership payments out over equal monthly installments with our 10-month auto-pay plan.

There’s nothing like Saturdays in South Carolina, so I hope you can make plans to catch a game at Williams-Brice Stadium this fall!

More Information on Season Tickets

TRACK & FIELD HONORS

I’d like to congratulate our track and field coaches who earned recognition from the USTFCCCA after a successful indoor season. Head coach Tim Hall was named Men’s Coach of the Year, while distance coach Brock Moreaux was named Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year. Sophomore sprinter Josiah Wrice earned the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year honor.

In addition to honors from the USTFCCCA, I’d also like to congratulate Alexis Brown who was named the SEC Women’s Co-Newcomer Runner of the Year and Jathiyah Muhammad who was named the SEC Women’s Newcomer Field Athlete of the Year. Way to go!

JOIN US FOR THE COCKY TROT

You still have time to register for this year’s Cocky Trot on Saturday, April 25! Fun for the whole family, both the 5K and shorter fun run/walk will start in the SC State Fairgrounds and make their way through the indoor and outdoor football practice fields.

THANK YOU SHEILA & MORRIS CREGGER

We recently opened the new and improved Sheila and Morris Cregger Indoor Track & Field Facility. Through the generous donation of Sheila and Morris, we were able to add new locker rooms and a lounge for our track and field student-athletes as well as new restroom facilities for fans attending indoor track meets. I want to thank Sheila and Morris for their continued philanthropic support for our track and field teams and Gamecock Athletics!

CONGRATS DIANA KOVAL

It was recently announced that Diana Koval, Associate Athletics Director/Communications and Public Relations has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Mary Jo Haverbeck Award recipient for 2026. Diana has overseen the media relations coordination for our women’s basketball team since her arrival to Columbia in 2007. Congratulations Diana on this tremendous accomplishment!

GARNET AND BLACK ROAD TRIP

The Gamecock Club is hitting the road this spring on a three-city stop across the state to celebrate what it means to be a Gamecock! At each stop along the Garnet and Black Road Trip, fans will have a chance to interact directly with our student-athletes and coaches through autograph sessions, photo opportunities and a coaches’ panel for behind-the-scenes insight into our programs. I hope you are able to join us for an event in Spartanburg, Charleston or Columbia!

Learn More

EQUESTRIAN HEADS TO THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

Our equestrian team is currently ranked No. 2 in the country after finishing the regular season 10-4. They will look to defend their SEC Championship title when they take on Georgia in the first round on Friday. Good luck at SECs!

SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME HONORS

Congratulations to Todd Ellis who highlights the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025! The SCFHOF honors achievements on the field and impact beyond the game who have left a lasting legacy in South Carolina and across the nation. I’d also like to congratulate Emily Beamer who will be honored as this year’s SCFHOF Humanitarian of the Year!

STUDENT-ATHLETE HONORS

Congratulations to our student-athletes who have recently received conference honors.

Men’s 4×400 Meter team (Josiah Wrice, Jasauna Dennis, Devan Crumption and Andrew Salvodon) – Track & Field: SEC Men’s Runner(s) of the Week (announced Feb. 17)
Charlie Swaine – Men’s Tennis: SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (announced Feb. 25)
Eline Mast – Track & Field: SEC Women’s Runner of the Week (announced Feb. 24)
Frankie Harris – Men’s Golf: SEC Co-Golfer of the Week (announced Feb. 18)
Josh Gunther – Baseball: SEC Pitcher of the Week (announced Mar. 2)
Lucas da Silva – Men’s Tennis: SEC Player of the Week (announced Feb. 25)
Madina Okot – Women’s Basketball: SEC Co-Player of the Week (announced Feb. 24)
Talan Harrison – Men’s Golf: SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (announced Feb. 18) and SEC Freshman of the Week (announced Mar. 11)
Will Craddock – Baseball: SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (announced Feb. 23)

As the weather warms up, I encourage you to come catch a game in person. Baseball, beach volleyball, softball and men’s and women’s tennis all have remaining home competitions. Our fan base truly helps create a home field advantage for our student-athletes. I look forward to joining you in the stands to cheer on our Gamecocks throughout the remainder of the spring!

FOREVER TO THEE!