The University of South Carolina women's basketball team is taking on a challenge against Notre Dame in a unique setting: Paris.

For the first time, a regular-season NCAA women's basketball game will be played on French soil, and for South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley, this event is a mix of business, pioneering spirit and a way to give back to student-athletes.

“When the NBA, NFL – they take their teams overseas and play a regular season game, I always thought, why couldn't we do that? And then, what do you know, we're doing it. I think it’s super great, it’s super educational,” Staley said via ESPN.

This matchup is not just about starting the season off with a win, but also about providing an enriching experience for the student-athletes. Staley has been pushing for this kind of opportunity, watching other sports expand their reach globally. She sees the Paris game as a sign of progress for women's basketball and a chance to enhance her players' college experience.

“It is a business trip, we want to win a game against Notre Dame. But we’re also taking advantage of the experience of going overseas,” Staley said. “We’re talking about the student-athlete experience. 
 We don't know what's going to happen, we don't know what we're going to experience. It’s all very new to all of us, but I know we’re gonna have a good time.”

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Cameron Brink (LA Sparks rookie) with hearts on eyes and Dawn Staley DURING her days with the Houston Comets.

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South Carolina women's basketball's Te-Hina Paopao, Dawn Staley next to March Madness logo, Raven Johnson in background

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The enthusiasm for the game is also evident, as a fan package offered for the event sold out quickly, and the significance is not lost on the coach, who views it as a reflection of the stature South Carolina's program has achieved.

“We are a brand here at South Carolina. People want us to participate in things like this,” she said in an interview with South Carolina news station WLTX, as reported by Just Women's Sports. “I’m happy for our fans, they get a chance to cheer us on. We wanted the event organizer to put a fan package together for our fans and it sold out within hours. So, the power of what we created here, we travel well as far as our fans. They follow us.”

South Carolina and Notre Dame will tip off Monday, in a game that will be televised on ESPN.