Why Dawn Staley’s dog isn’t traveling with Gamecocks for the NCAA Tournament

Chapel Fowler
·4 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

As the South Carolina women’s basketball team prepares for a second weekend of NCAA Tournament play, one key “member” of the roster won’t be in attendance.

After Champ Staley — coach Dawn Staley’s beloved, well behaved and frequently viral pet dog — wasn’t spotted with the Gamecocks as they arrived at MVP Arena in Albany, New York, in preparation for the Sweet 16 on Thursday, a team staffer confirmed to The State that Champ, a 6-year-old black and gray Havanese, will be hanging back in Columbia for the weekend.

Champ is fine, the staffer said. But due to a combination of travel logistics and weather forecasts (Champ isn’t a huge fan of cold temperatures, and Albany won’t get above 53 degrees this week), Staley opted to keep the dog she’s described as her “only child” at home (with dog sitters, of course).

If USC were to win both of its games this weekend and advance to the Final Four in Cleveland, Champ would also be doubtful to attend, the staffer said, because of similar logistics and weather concerns in another Northeast city.

Champ stayed behind for South Carolina’s season-opening trip to Paris, too.

But Champ, who Staley has had since 2017, is a regular at Gamecocks practices and media availabilities. Last weekend in Columbia, during the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, he went viral as he laid down on the table in front of Staley during one of her news conferences.

“He said until he gets a nameplate, he’s not answering any questions,” she joked.

Later, Champ started barking as Staley answered a question.

“Seriously?” she said.

Staley named her dog after South Carolina’s 2017 national championship win, and the two have been all but inseparable since. Champ has his own account on X (formerly Twitter) with over 5,000 followers, and often trots around Colonial Life Arena like he owns the place.

Staley has raved about Champ (who turned 6 years old last October) in countless interviews and told the Charlotte Observer in 2022 that she didn’t grow up with a pet dog and doesn’t even like dogs in general.

“I just like Champ,” she said, adding that he doesn’t understand “at all” that he’s a dog and not a person: “He goes to a lot of places and, honestly, people don’t see me anymore. They just gravitate toward Champ. ... I don’t know what my life was like before him. Seriously.”

University of South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and Champ on Monday, August 20, 2022 in Columbia, SC. Staley won numerous awards during her playing career including three Olympic gold medals and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. As a coach, Staley has lead two team’s to the NCAA Division I championship. JEFF SINER/jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

South Carolina WBB vs. Indiana game info

  • Who: No. 1 South Carolina (34-0) vs. No. 4 Indiana (26-5)

  • Where: MVP Arena in Albany, New York

  • When: 5 p.m. Friday

  • TV: ESPN

  • Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia area

  • Stream: Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app

  • Betting line: South Carolina by 15.5 points (ESPN BET)

  • Next up: The winner of South Carolina-Indiana will advance to an Elite Eight game on Sunday afternoon and will face either No. 2 Notre Dame or No. 3 Oregon State (those two teams play each other earlier Friday in Albany)