Before the kickoff between the No. 8 South Carolina Gamecocks women’s soccer team and the Texas A&M Aggies women’s soccer team at Stone Stadium, the Gamecocks officially retired the jersey of former forward Savannah McCaskill.
McCaskill, who wore No. 7 during her four years at South Carolina (2014-17), became the first women's soccer player in Gamecock history to have her jersey retired.
The move caps one of the most decorated careers in program history and allows current and future players, as well as fans, to celebrate her legacy.
"I didn't have this on my bingo card ... I did know that I wanted to strive to be the best, and that's still what motivates me ... I want to be the best version of myself and to see that pay off is special," McCaskill said.
McCaskill arrived in Columbia as a four-star recruit and made an immediate impact. In her freshman season, she started all 23 games, posted five goals and five assists, and was named SEC Freshman of the Year.
As her career progressed, she set several program records including 17 game-winning goals and 45 points in her junior season, along with 10 game-winning goals that same year.
She was also a three-time All-American and a two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
Over her four-year career, McCaskill ranked third in program history in goals (40) and points (114) and second in assists (34).
Beyond her individual numbers, her impact on the program was also historic, as she helped lead the Gamecocks to back-to-back SEC regular-season championships in 2016 and 2017 and the program’s first appearance in the College Cup in 2017.
Now, her jersey will hang as a permanent marker of that era.
"It's a testament to this school, this university, (head coach) Shelley (Smith) and (associate head coach) Jamie (Smith), everyone that I played with while I was here, and my family that's gotten me to this point," McCaskill said.
Savannah McCaskill and her husband watch a video at Stone Stadium before the women’s soccer game against Texas A&M on Oct. 19, 2025. The video was a collection of McCaskill's best goals and some interviews from her time at USC.
The program’s announcement back in September explained the criteria for this honor as selected by the South Carolina Athletics Department: players considered must have demonstrated high levels of individual recognition (conference and national honors), set school records or left a significant imprint on team success, and have graduated or left in good academic standing.
From the classroom to the field, McCaskill excelled in both. She graduated from South Carolina in December 2017 with a degree in exercise science and a minor in psychology.
Selected second overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft by the Boston Breakers, McCaskill has forged a strong professional career, most recently playing with the San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Freshman forward Ava Tutas, who now wears McCaskill's former No. 7, said the number carries special significance for her as she strives to continue the standard of excellence set by McCaskill.
"It's not common as a freshman to come in and get a single number, let alone number seven, plus obviously it has a lot of meaning in the history of this program," Tutas said. "So just being able to wear it, I think it's another reminder to just continue to push the standard and try to achieve the excellence that Savannah achieved before me."
For Gamecock fans, this ceremony serves as both a celebration of a distinguished past and a renewal of the commitment to excellence that McCaskill embodied. As her jersey was unveiled, and her name now lives on in Stone Stadium, her legacy has become part of South Carolina’s history.
"She was a difference-maker in the program," Smith said. "She dedicated herself to being better every year ... It was special to have her back, and I was so glad to still be here coaching and be able to honor someone that meant a lot to the program."