As another athletic year unfolds in South Carolina, the Palmetto Series is once again spotlighting the state’s longstanding collegiate rivalry. Since its start in 2015, the Palmetto Series has grown into an all-sports rivalry, with South Carolina claiming victory last season.
Sponsored by the South Carolina Education Lottery, the Palmetto Series awards one point to either the University of South Carolina or Clemson University for each head-to-head athletic victory between the two schools. Additional points are available for academic benchmarks and participation in scholarship-related programs, extending the competition beyond sports and into statewide educational engagement.
While the series spans the entire athletic year, early results across fall sports have already begun shaping the standings.Across the history of the Palmetto Series, South Carolina holds a 6-1 all time record. In the 2025-26 series, Clemson has the early advantage.
The first point of the 2025-26 series was awarded on Aug. 26, when the Clemson men’s soccer team secured a 4-1 victory. The Tigers followed this by picking up another point in volleyball, winning a close 3-2 match on Aug. 31.
In men’s golf, where the point is awarded based on cumulative results from several tournaments, Clemson claimed the point as well, with the cumulative result putting Clemson ahead 1-0 in the golf category. These early performances have positioned Clemson with a multi-point lead as fall sports continued through the semester.
Not every matchup produced an outright winner. On Aug. 28, the annual women’s soccer match ended in a 0-0 draw, resulting in no points being awarded. Strong defensive play on both sides defined the match, and the tie left the Palmetto Series margin unchanged.
The first South Carolina point of the year came from women’s basketball, which tipped off the rivalry’s winter slate on Nov. 11. The Gamecocks put on a commanding performance, winning 65-37 with the Gamecocks outscoring the Tigers 20-2 in the fourth quarter and closing the game on a defensive hot streak with disciplined execution.
The decisive win not only put South Carolina on the scoreboard but could also serve as a momentum boost heading into the season's most critical matchups.
"We reversed the ball more, ... got good looks ... and locked in defensively ...," head coach Dawn Staley said. "When you do that against a team like Clemson, you're going to really get some good looks."
The annual football game, the rivalry’s most watched showdown, is set for Saturday, Nov. 29, with the winner claiming a point. While football counts no more than any other sport in the Palmetto Series scoring system, it often influences the rhythm of the rivalry.
The men’s basketball matchup, scheduled for Dec. 16, represents another major opportunity for either school to swing momentum before the new year. With Clemson leading in several fall categories, the December game will carry added weight in the overall standings and could tighten the race heading into the spring.
Baseball will feature a three-game series from Feb. 27 to March 1, a matchup that historically swings the overall standings.
Softball will meet twice, March 25 and April 14, providing another opportunity for points. Men’s and women’s tennis, both currently listed as to be determined, remain crucial spring matchups that will help determine the late-season trajectory of the series.
With several events still pending, the final standings remain far from decided. Beyond athletics, three academic and participation-based points remain up for grabs.
The three points are: most current LIFE Scholarship recipients, most current Palmetto Fellows Scholarship recipients and most entries into the Rival Play Second-Chance Promotion, a lottery-based engagement point open to fans between both universities.
All three categories are to-be-determined, meaning they could prove decisive if the athletic results tighten later in the year. These education-based metrics emphasize the Palmetto Series’ broader mission: celebrating both on-field competitions and off-field achievements among students and communities across the state, according to official communications from the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Education Lottery.
As it stands in the Palmetto Series, Clemson currently holds the early lead with points from men’s soccer, volleyball, and men’s golf. South Carolina has claimed one point through women’s basketball, while several matchups remain tied or undecided.
The rivalry now shifts toward key winter and spring competitions, many of which traditionally carry substantial swings in the overall standings.
With football looming, basketball in full swing and spring sports on the horizon, the Palmetto Series remains very much in play for both schools. The coming months will determine whether Clemson maintains its early lead or if South Carolina mounts a late-season comeback to reclaim the all-sports rivalry crown.