South Carolina receives national championship rings at football game

For the defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks, the reward was worth the wait.

During halftime of the Gamecocks' football game against Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon, the women's basketball team was awarded their national champion rings at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks defeated Mississippi State 67-55 in last year's title game in Dallas, Texas. 

South Carolina finished the 2016-17 season 33-4 (14-2 SEC), ending the season on an 11-game winning streak. This year's Gamecocks, under head coach Dawn Staley, return seven of the 12 players from the championship roster. 

Check out the sights and sounds from today's celebration from Columbia, South Carolina:

We’ve been waiting so long for this. #Gamecocks @dawnstaley pic.twitter.com/TDTTggMYyI

— GamecockWBB (@GamecockWBB) October 28, 2017

USC Women's basketball team getting their National Championship rings at halftime. pic.twitter.com/zlrvMUXwzp

— Eric J. Russell (@EricJ_Russell) October 28, 2017

MORE: Dawn Staley, Gamecocks get serious after championship run

When you can’t stop looking at the new jewelry! #NationalChamps #Gamecocks @dawnstaley @Graytness_15 pic.twitter.com/XUfVvzDGGc

— GamecockWBB (@GamecockWBB) October 28, 2017

The #Gamecocks women's basketball team got their national championship rings today at halftime @USCCarolinaNews pic.twitter.com/rn1cqc1iFQ

— Claudia Chakamian (@C_Chakamian) October 28, 2017

MORE: Five can't miss SEC games for the 2017-18 season

.@dawnstaley and @_ajawilson22 see their #NationalChampionship rings for the first time pic.twitter.com/Yfc8DrQ6gF

— SEC (@SEC) October 28, 2017

RELATED: North Carolina men's basketball receives national championship rings