After nearly two decades with the South Carolina program, you’d think Dawn Staley would bleed garnet and black, right? And she surely does! She’s led the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball team to three championships and has always been the loudest cheerleader for her school, whether it’s hoops or football. But this time, the head coach just threw everyone a curveball by showing love to another team.

She’s backing Notre Dame, the same Fighting Irish that has knocked her beloved Gamecocks out in the past. The 2022 Gator Bowl 45-38 defeat still stings, right?! But the HC seems to have moved past it. As Notre Dame gears up to take on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship, Staley made her stance loud and clear on Twitter, saying, “I’m fightin’ with The Irish! Let’s goooooo!! @NDFootball.”

After an epic first run of the 12-team College Football Playoff, we’re down to just two teams. Ohio State is chasing its first title since 2014, while Notre Dame is trying to end a championship drought that’s lasted since 1988.

The Gamecocks may have drawn first blood, but the Buckeyes have stormed back and snatched the lead. We’ll have to see who finally takes it home. But the game indeed is going to be intense.

And by the way, speaking of intensity, Staley’s bold move comes right before her own massive showdown. The ultimate Kim Mulkey vs Dawn Staley! Her Gamecocks face the undefeated LSU Tigers. LSU’s sitting at 20-0, and while UCLA ended South Carolina’s insane 43-game win streak back in November, Staley’s squad hasn’t lost since. 

The history between these two says that Staley leads Mulkey 5-2. So, while she’s hyping up Notre Dame for football, you can bet she’s laser-focused on taking down LSU on the “College GameDay.”

GameDay returns to Columbia, Dawn Staley’s Gamecock vs. Lady Tigers clash of SEC titans

ESPN’s “College GameDay” is heading to Columbia again. For the second year in a row, the highly anticipated matchup between the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks and the No. 4 LSU Tigers will take center stage. Last year, it was Baton Rouge’s turn to host, and South Carolina snagged a hard-fought 76-70 victory. 

This showdown marks the third time South Carolina has hosted “College GameDay” (the most by any school). It’ll be the first of five on-campus visits for this season’s women’s college basketball edition of the show. Featuring Elle Duncan, Chiney Ogwumike, and Andraya Carter, the one-hour program kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, just before tipoff at 8 p.m.

The Gamecocks are coming off a blockbuster 101-60 win over No. 13 Oklahoma, while LSU handled Florida 80-63. But while the hype is real, Kim Mulkey seems cool as a cucumber and even ditched questions regarding the matchup.

After the Florida game, she joked, “I can’t even think about South Carolina. I gotta think about snow and ice when I get home.” She even dodged questions about last year’s results, brushing them off with, “Let’s talk about the Florida game.”

However, coaches worry or not, this is the epic SEC’s top five teams going head-to-head battle, and it’s the game to watch. So, who do you think is taking this one?