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Notre Dame, South Carolina to open 2023-24 season in Paris

PARIS — Two of college basketball’s premier programs will meet on an international stage this fall to open the 2023-24 season.

On Wednesday, Notre Dame and South Carolina announced the teams will face off in a historic matchup in Paris on Nov. 6. It is the first ever college basketball game — men’s or women’s — to be played in the City of Lights, and it is the Irish program’s first trip outside of North America.

“Notre Dame is playing under the shadow of Notre Dame!” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said. “We are absolutely thrilled to be heading to Paris to participate in this historic matchup between two storied women’s basketball programs.

“It’s always been my mission to break barriers and provide opportunities for my players to have life-changing experiences. Women’s basketball is on the rise right now, and having this exposure continues to grow the game on an international platform.”

The contest will feature two of college basketball’s most recognizable coaches in Ivey and Dawn Staley. Ivey was the 2023 ACC Coach of the Year and led her squad to a regular season ACC title this season. She has been a part of all nine of Notre Dame’s Final Four runs as a player or an assistant coach. She led the team to the 2001 national title as the Irish point guard, and she was an assistant when Notre Dame brought home the trophy in 2018. Staley is a four-time Olympic gold medalist (three times as a player, one as a coach) and the three-time Naismith Coach of the Year. She led South Carolina to national championships in 2017 and 2022, and the Gamecocks are fresh off of a 2023 Final Four run.

“I’m honored to coach alongside Dawn Staley and to continue to show that representation matters by having two Black female head coaches on this stage,” Ivey added.

It is obviously very early to talk personnel, but it seems the teams will be in different spots than they were in March when they meet in November. Notre Dame returns four of its five starters, with Dara Mabrey being the only departure. Lauren Ebo, who made starts late in the year due to injuries, has also exhausted her eligibility. But Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld and Kylee Watson will all be taking the floor once again for Ivey. Five-star signees Hannah Hidalgo and Emma Risch will join the Irish this summer as freshmen, and fellow five-star early enrollee Cassandre Prosper will look to take the next step in her first full season under the Dome.

While there is never a shortage of talent on the South Carolina roster, the Gamecocks have lost their core from this year’s Final Four appearance. Aliyah Boston, Brea Beal, Zia Cooke, Victaria Saxton and Laeticia Amihere are WNBA-bound after a big draft night on April 10; all five women were taken with the first 25 selections, including No. 1 overall pick Boston. For their elite performances this season, Boston was named the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year, while Cooke earned the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year honors. SEC All-Freshman guard Raven Johnson will be a huge piece for South Carolina next season, and five-star incoming freshman Milaysia Fulwiley is the headliner of Staley’s 2023 class.

Notre Dame and South Carolina have faced off five times before, including three neutral site matchups. The Irish are 3-2 all-time against the Gamecocks, including a 3-0 mark at neutral locations. Notre Dame has won the last three meetings, and the last time the teams met was at the November 2017 Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. The Irish took home a 92-85 victory.

Ticket packages, venue and television partner will be confirmed this spring.