South Carolina Women’s Basketball to Bring HBCU Showcase and NIL Opportunities to Thanksgiving Weekend

South Carolina women’s basketball is turning Thanksgiving weekend into more than a basketball tournament.

The Gamecocks will partner with Rae Rose Media to host the inaugural PowHER Player Classic at Colonial Life Arena, bringing NC Central, Alabama A&M and Tennessee State to Columbia for a two-day event that combines competition with community service, NIL education and networking opportunities.

The basketball portion begins Saturday, Nov. 28, with NC Central facing Alabama A&M before South Carolina takes on Tennessee State.

Sunday will feature the consolation and championship games, although official game times have not yet been finalized because they remain tied to South Carolina’s television schedule.

For Dawn Staley, however, the tournament is designed to accomplish something bigger than simply adding games to the schedule.

Dawn Staley wants the event to create opportunities beyond the court

Staley has increasingly emphasized the broader opportunities available to women athletes as the business surrounding women’s sports continues to expand.

That philosophy is central to the PowHER Player Classic.

Rae Rose Media will oversee the non-basketball programming, including a holiday-themed community service initiative Thursday and an NIL Marketplace on Friday.

The event will also include sponsor activations involving all four participating teams, along with educational and networking sessions aimed at creating potential future partnerships.

That makes the weekend different from a conventional early-season tournament.

The athletes will have opportunities to engage with businesses, learn about NIL possibilities and build relationships away from the basketball floor.

Staley said the idea came from viewing basketball as a pathway to access and opportunity, particularly as the possibilities surrounding women’s sports continue to grow.

The tournament gives South Carolina another HBCU connection

South Carolina’s relationship with HBCU programs is not new.

Staley has scheduled at least one regular-season matchup against an HBCU in 15 of her 18 seasons leading the Gamecocks.

The program has also faced an HBCU opponent four times in the NCAA Tournament.

The PowHER Player Classic adds another layer because several people involved with the visiting programs have direct connections to Staley.

NC Central is entering a new chapter with Olivia Gaines beginning her first season as head coach.

Gaines is a former South Carolina player, giving the matchup an immediate Gamecock connection.

Tennessee State also brings a Staley connection through head coach Candice Dupree, who played for Staley at Temple.

Tennessee State assistant coach Jacob Coltrane previously worked as a graduate assistant with Staley’s South Carolina teams from 2018-20.

Those connections should give the weekend an added sense of familiarity while still creating a competitive environment for the participating programs.

South Carolina already has a winning history against two opponents

The Gamecocks have previously faced two of the three visiting programs.

South Carolina is 3-0 all-time against NC Central, including a meeting during the 2025-26 season.

The Gamecocks are also 2-0 against Alabama A&M.

Tennessee State represents the new opponent in this particular group.

That history gives South Carolina a clear statistical edge against two of the three teams entering the event, although past results will not determine what happens during Thanksgiving weekend.

The tournament also gives Staley another opportunity to expose her team to different styles early in the season.

Friday’s NIL Marketplace could be just as important as Saturday’s games

The NIL Marketplace is arguably one of the most distinctive parts of the PowHER Player Classic.

Rather than treating NIL as a separate issue from the competition itself, the event is placing athlete education, networking and potential commercial relationships directly alongside the basketball tournament.

Rae Rose Media will also host a Culture Night Kickoff Dinner on Friday evening involving all four participating teams.

That creates a progression across the weekend.

Thursday centers on community service.

Friday focuses on education, networking, culture and NIL opportunities.

Saturday and Sunday shift the attention toward competition.

For college athletes navigating an increasingly commercialized women’s sports landscape, that combination could be valuable beyond the immediate tournament.

Why the PowHER Player Classic matters for South Carolina

South Carolina gets another home event at Colonial Life Arena, but the larger significance is the platform it provides.

The Gamecocks are one of the most prominent programs in women’s college basketball, and Staley is using that platform to bring other women’s programs into an event designed to create opportunities away from the court as well.

That approach also fits naturally with South Carolina’s established relationships with HBCU programs.

Instead of simply scheduling individual nonconference games, the PowHER Player Classic gives those matchups a broader purpose.

The participating athletes will have access to the same weekend of programming, sponsorship opportunities and networking sessions.

That could make the event especially useful for players and programs looking to understand how visibility can translate into opportunities outside of game performance.

Tickets will be handled through South Carolina’s season-ticket package

All PowHER Player Classic games are included in the South Carolina women’s basketball season-ticket package.

Single-session tickets will be released at a later date.

Game times for the tournament will also be announced once South Carolina’s television schedule is finalized.

For the Gamecocks, the immediate basketball objective is straightforward: compete for the tournament title at home.

But the bigger idea behind the weekend extends well beyond the final score.

By combining HBCU competition with community service, NIL education, sponsorship activations and networking, South Carolina and Rae Rose Media are attempting to make the Thanksgiving weekend event a platform for the athletes themselves.

The biggest question may ultimately be how the PowHER Player Classic grows beyond its first edition, but its foundation is already clear: South Carolina wants its HBCU showcase to create opportunities that extend beyond basketball.

Alternative headlines

• Dawn Staley, South Carolina Partner With Rae Rose Media for New HBCU Thanksgiving Tournament
• South Carolina Women’s Basketball Sets HBCU Showdown With NIL Marketplace at Colonial Life Arena

FAQs

When is the PowHER Player Classic?

The tournament begins Saturday, Nov. 28, with the championship and consolation games scheduled for Sunday.

Which teams are playing in the PowHER Player Classic?

South Carolina, NC Central, Alabama A&M and Tennessee State will participate.

Who will South Carolina play in the opening round?

South Carolina will host Tennessee State, while NC Central and Alabama A&M will meet in the other opening game.

What makes the PowHER Player Classic different?

The event combines women’s college basketball with community service, NIL programming, sponsor activations, educational sessions and networking opportunities.

Where will the PowHER Player Classic be played?

The tournament will take place at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

The PowHER Player Classic gives South Carolina women’s basketball a new way to connect HBCU competition with meaningful opportunities for athletes beyond the court.