The 2024-25 school year has seen South Carolina athletics excel in multiple sports across the season.
Whether that be the softball team's 20-0 record to start the season, the football team winning nine games for the first time since 2017 or women’s basketball reaching the Final Four for the fifth straight year.
What all these teams had in common, other than their high level of success, were wins over the Clemson Tigers in the Palmetto Series.
The Palmetto Series is a competition between South Carolina and Clemson across all sports, established by the South Carolina Education Lottery in 2015.
Each school receives a point for a victory over the other in head-to-head competition, with an additional 3 points being earned for the school with the most LIFE and Palmetto Fellows scholarship recipients and the most entries in the Rival Play Second-Chance Promotion.
The current standings have the Gamecocks leading with 5 points and the Tigers with 3. With just the scholarships and second-chance up for grabs, South Carolina is poised to win the series for the sixth time.
Football and men’s basketball among teams with wins over Tigers
The volleyball team defeated the Tigers in three sets on Sept. 20 to get the first point of the competition. The win marked the second straight victory against Clemson and first time they swept their rivals on the road since 2017.
South Carolina’s wins over Clemson in football and basketball this season featured upsets and late-game dramatics.
The football teams met on Nov. 30 and the game saw both teams ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2013. Head coach Shane Beamer said in the week leading up to the game that the game ranks amongst the best rivalry games he has participated in.
“[I] just feel so fortunate to be a part of this rivalry,” Beamer said. “So much history, tradition, great players, great coaches that have been a part of it as well and I know how much it means to this state.”
Redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers helped lead the way for the Gamecocks, scoring two rushing touchdowns including a 20-yard scramble in the game's final minute to help South Carolina go onto win 17-14.
Men’s basketball also avenged a loss to the Tigers last year, defeating then-No. 25 Clemson 91-88 in overtime behind sophomore forward Colin Murray Boyles' team high 22 points.
After a game-tying 3-pointer in regulation by senior guard Chase Hunter, the Gamecocks responded in overtime by pushing its lead to seven with 1:40 left. Clemson had the game back within a possession but missed a free throw that would have tied the game at 89.
“Really excited for the guys to have that kind of experience, it's a great atmosphere,” head coach Lamont Paris said. “And then just and fight through all the adversity that we had.”
The women’s basketball team also defeated Clemson 77-45 on Nov. 20. At the time, this was a program record with 43 consecutive wins for the Gamecocks.
Clemson managed to build a 17-12 lead midway through the second quarter. South Carolina then answered with a 17-0 run to help the Gamecocks earn its 14th straight win in the rivalry.
“I'll take a win against Clemson obviously for the rivalry, for the palmetto point," head coach Dawn Staley said.
The women’s golf team also earned South Carolina points in the competition, with its team facing off against the Tigers in tournaments four times this year. The Gamecocks placed higher than Clemson in all four tournaments.
Clemson answers back with spring semester wins
Despite the success of the Gamecocks, the Tigers have been able to claim three points of its own, all coming in the spring semester.
Clemson earned its first two points of the competition in early February after both the men’s and women’s tennis teams won home series against the Gamecocks. The men’s team won 7-0 on Feb. 7, and the women’s team won 4-1 on Feb. 11.
Clemson's baseball team earned the other point this season, with the Tigers sweeping the Gamecocks across a weekend series from Feb. 28, to March 2.
In the game on March 1, at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina, South Carolina trailed by one heading into the ninth inning, but was unable to produce any runs while giving up three themselves to end the game 5-1.
The following day, the Gamecocks found itself in a similar situation at home in Founders Park. Heading into the ninth inning, South Carolina trailed by two runs and were once again unsuccessful in making a late comeback and lost 8-2 after four runs from the Tigers.
“They were very competitive hard-fought games and we came up short in all three of them,” head coach Paul Mainieri said. “I know how much it means to South Carolina fans and I feel bad that we didn't come through for them."
Several teams draw even with Tigers
Several games this season have ended in ties between the two rivals. Both soccer matches ended in ties, and women's cross-country and softball both split the two games against each team.
On Aug. 30, the men’s soccer team faced off against then-No. 1 Clemson in the first meeting between the two schools this year. Senior forward Harrison Myring and freshman forward Gabe Nickerson both scored goals to help the Gamecocks tie the Tigers 2-2.
Just a few days later on Sept. 5, the women’s soccer team tied the Tigers 1-1. Fifth-year forward Catherine Berry scored in the 47th minute off an assist from freshman forward Katie Shae Collins. Clemson scored the equalizer with under a minute left to deny South Carolina the point.
Softball played two games against the Tigers this year and went 1-1, with the home team winning both games. South Carolina defeated Clemson 6-0 on March 25 and Clemson won 2-1 on April 15, in extra innings.
Women’s cross-country tied the Tigers with both teams placing above the other in two separate meets. Clemson placed second at the Live in Lou Classic while South Carolina finished fifth. At the Crimson Classic, the Gamecocks placed third and the Tigers finished fifth.
The only points left are for scholarships and Rival Play Second-Chance promotions, with no more scheduled competitions left on the calendar. Barring any post season meetings, the Gamecocks can either tie or win the competition, as it is currently winning 6-3.