Savannah McCaskill Headlines 2026 South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame Class
When Savannah McCaskill first started playing soccer at age three, she chased a ball around her yard as an only child with no notion of professional leagues or historic records. Years later, that early dedication has earned her a spot among the elite in collegiate athletics. The former South Carolina All-American is a member of the 2026 USC Association of Lettermen’s Athletics Hall of Fame class, joining a group of seven individuals and two teams honored this year.
Looking back at her path from a backyard goal in Irmo to the upper echelons of women’s soccer, McCaskill admits the milestone caught her off guard. “My first reaction was, am I old enough for this? It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was playing there,” she said. That disbelief highlights just how rapidly her career evolved from local youth fields to setting benchmarks in the Southeastern Conference.
Building a Legacy in Garnet and Black
McCaskill’s statistical footprint in Columbia remains formidable. During her standout career from 2014 to 2017, she earned two-time first team All-American nods in 2016 and 2017 alongside three first team All-SEC selections. She claimed back-to-back SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2016 and 2017 after breaking onto the scene as the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014.
Her offensive output reshaped the Gamecocks’ record books. She netted a school-record 17 goals in 2017—a mark since surpassed by Cat Barry in 2024—while her 11 assists that same season remain tied for third-most in a single campaign. Across her career, McCaskill sits fourth in school history with 40 goals, second with 34 assists, fourth in career points, and second in career game-winning goals.
Those individual milestones coincided with team success. Under the guidance of head coach Shelley Smith and Jamie Smith, McCaskill led South Carolina to back-to-back SEC Regular Season Championships during her final two seasons. In 2017, she spearheaded the program’s first-ever Collegiate Cup appearance, anchoring a dominant 40-5-2 stretch over her final two years.
From Local Standout to NWSL Regular
Growing up in Irmo, McCaskill initially envisioned playing in the ACC before realizing the SEC matched her competitive style. After committing to South Carolina on the spot during a meeting with the coaching staff, she developed into the second overall pick in the 2018 NWSL draft. Her professional trajectory eventually brought her to Gotham FC, where she currently competes while balancing the demands of a high-level club schedule.
That professional workload might prevent her from attending the upcoming on-campus induction ceremony if Gotham FC makes a deep playoff run. Even so, the honor follows another distinction earned in 2025, when she became the first South Carolina women’s soccer player to have her jersey retired.
“All the support I’ve had growing up, and in college, and even now as a pro, I don’t hold that lightly,” McCaskill said.
