Texas’ Vic Schaefer Challenges South Carolina’s “Home-Court” Edge in Greenville

Texas Coach Vic Schaefer Critiques SEC Tournament Location After Loss to South Carolina

In a dominant 64-45 victory on Sunday, South Carolina’s Gamecocks defeated the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Tournament championship game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. While the venue is officially neutral, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer had a different take, calling it South Carolina’s “home floor,” and suggesting that the Gamecocks had a clear advantage.

The game broke attendance records, drawing 13,532 fans, the majority of whom were cheering for South Carolina. Schaefer acknowledged the challenge of playing a top-tier team in such an environment, likening it to facing Texas in San Antonio.

Greenville, located just two hours from South Carolina’s home court in Columbia, has hosted the SEC Women’s Tournament for the past four years, and six of the last seven. In October, the SEC extended its agreement to keep the tournament in Greenville for another three years, with the possibility of moving the tournament to another city no earlier than 2029.

When the SEC Tournament was last held outside of Greenville, it was in Nashville in 2022, where Kentucky upset South Carolina in the final. Other cities like Memphis, North Little Rock, Duluth, and Jacksonville have also hosted the event in the past.

Schaefer, who is now 0-5 in SEC Tournament championship games against South Carolina, including during his time at Mississippi State, referred to Sunday’s loss as a “road game” for Texas. He also voiced his desire for more variety in tournament locations, acknowledging that while Greenville is an excellent host, the proximity to South Carolina’s campus gives the Gamecocks an undeniable edge.

Postgame, Schaefer commented on the crowd’s impact, saying, “When you’re playing South Carolina at home in front of their own fans, it’s a road game.” He pointed out how the crowd played a significant role in the Gamecocks’ strong second-quarter run.

However, one has to ask: would this issue even be raised if South Carolina hadn’t made the championship game in ten consecutive years? More importantly, would Schaefer even care about the location if he hadn’t lost five SEC Tournament finals to Dawn Staley and her Gamecocks? The “home-court” advantage argument might hold some weight, but in reality, it’s a minor factor.

South Carolina is now 5-0 in SEC Tournament championship games against Schaefer’s teams, with victories in Jacksonville in 2016 and Nashville in 2018. As Mike Uva put it on Twitter, “The common denominator isn’t where the tournament is being held…”