COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Gamecocks celebrated their national championship with fans back here in Columbia on Monday afternoon.
USC defeated Iowa 87-75 Sunday afternoon to win their third national championship in program history.
There's still no word on when a championship parade will take place, but Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann announced on social media that it is in the works. In 2022, the parade was held 10 days after the team won the title.
Also on Sunday, the Gamecock flag was hoisted above the South Carolina State House to mark the occasion. And on the campus of the University of South Carolina, fans flocked to the fountain in front of the Thomas Cooper Library to celebrate.
"Jumping in that water, as dirty as it was and as gross as it can be, it's still absolutely awesome," said NIck Derkman, one of the students who took part in the event. "One of my favorite experiences here."
USC now becomes the first team to go undefeated since UConn in 2016 and just the 10th team all time to go through a season unblemished. Including last season, when they went undefeated until the Final Four, USC is a staggering 74-1 over the last two seasons. When you add their last title run in 2022, they're 108-3 in three seasons.
The Gamecocks now further cement their position as the best in their sport with three championships since 2017, two near misses in 2021 and 2023, and the COVID stopped season when they were the top team going into the tournament that was canceled. No other team can boast the talent of the Gamecocks, and no other team has had anywhere near as much success.