Williams–Brice Stadium
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Williams–Brice Stadium, popularly known as "Willy B", is a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
located in
Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
, United States. It serves primarily as the home of the
South Carolina Gamecocks football The South Carolina Gamecocks football program represents the University of South Carolina. The South Carolina Gamecocks, Gamecocks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern ...
team, but has also been the site of many concerts, state high school football championships, and various other events, including the annual Palmetto Capital City Classic between the Benedict Tigers and the South Carolina State Bulldogs until the last game in 2005. It is currently the 16th largest on-campus college football stadium in the NCAA and is located on the corner of George Rogers Boulevard and Bluff Road adjacent to the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. Carolina football teams consistently attract standing-room-only crowds to Williams–Brice Stadium. The atmosphere on game days has been voted "the best" by SECsports.com, and has been noted as being among the loudest environments to play in by opposing players.


History

The stadium was originally built in 1934 with help of federal
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
funds as Columbia Municipal Stadium. It was built to replace Melton Field, an aging wooden structure that was located where USC's Thomas Cooper Library stands today. All USC football games except for the annual Thanksgiving matchup with Clemson had been played at Melton Field. The Clemson game was played at the South Carolina fairgrounds at the location that became Williams–Brice Stadium. Williams–Brice originally seated 17,600 people in what roughly corresponds to the lower level of the current facility's east and west grandstand seats. In 1941, the stadium was deeded to USC and renamed Carolina Stadium. One end of the stadium was filled in during the 1940s, turning it into a horseshoe. Capacity was almost doubled, to 34,000. More than a decade later, the other end was filled in, turning the stadium into a bowl. Capacity increased to 43,000. Williams–Brice Stadium was sold out prior to the start of each of the last seven college football seasons and consistently ranks in the top 20 in average attendance and the top 15 in total attendance. For the 2008 season, the stadium was 17th in average attendance and 13th in total attendance. On October 6, 2012, the stadium's single-game attendance record was set when 85,199 fans watched the #6 Gamecocks beat #5
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
by the score of 35–7. The stadium is considered one of the loudest venues in the country by both opposing players and college football pundits, with Josh Pate of 247Sports noting that "when it's 3rd down and three in Williams-Brice Stadium, you can't hear anything ..South Carolina fans more than do their part on game day to make that place a really, really intimidating environment". During a game against Florida in 2001,
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
announcers indicated that they had to shout to hear each other's comments inside the press box. ESPN's GameDay crew has broadcast its show four times (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006) from the State Fairgrounds across the street from the stadium. (In 2010, 2012, and 2014, GameDay was broadcast from The Horseshoe on campus.) ESPN also used a photo of the stadium in its advertising to promote its GameDay show throughout the 2005 college football season. On September 14, 2024 (vs. LSU) ESPN’s College Game Day broadcast from the newly renovated Gamecock Park area across Bluff Road from the stadium. Pat McAfee made several comments about the crowd’s enthusiasm.


Renovations

The stadium's first major renovation began in 1970, when the grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf. From 1971 to 1972, the west grandstand was completely rebuilt, with the addition of an upper deck. Capacity increased to 54,000. The renovation was funded by the estate of Martha Williams Brice and Thomas Hardin Brice, who left some of their estate to USC for stadium renovation and expansion. Martha Williams Brice was a member of the family who owned Williams Furniture Corporation in Sumter, South Carolina, and for whom the furniture company was named. Her late husband, Thomas Hardin Brice, played football for the Gamecocks from 1922 to 1924. In their honor, the expanded stadium was officially renamed Williams–Brice Stadium on September 8, 1972 by a bequeath from their nephews Tom and Phil Edwards. In 1982, the east grandstands were finally double-decked, increasing capacity to 72,400. However, unlike the west grandstand, the east grandstand was never rebuilt, and is the only remaining portion of the original 1934 structure. During the 1983–84 offseason, at the urging of new coach
Joe Morrison Joseph R. Morrison (August 21, 1937 – February 5, 1989) was an American football player and coach. He played professionally as a running back and wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants from 1959 to 1972. M ...
, the university removed the AstroTurf and replaced it with natural grass. Over the last 10 years, nearly $30 million of renovations and improvements have taken place at Williams–Brice Stadium, bringing the official capacity to 80,250. The addition of the upper deck in the south end zone includes "The Zone," which is an banquet facility located in a prime seating location. The box seats, executive suites, and athletic training facilities at the stadium have also been upgraded. Just prior to the 2008 football season the stadium underwent a complete upgrade to the main sound system. During this upgrade the school added a large array of subwoofers under the scoreboard to enhance the "feel" of their entrance music (the theme song to '' 2001: A Space Odyssey''). Installation of this system was done by local Columbia company ACS Sound and Lighting. To open the 2012 season, the stadium featured a new
Daktronics Daktronics, Inc. is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota, that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, dynamic message signs, sound systems, and related products. It was found ...
36 foot high by 124 foot wide high definition video board, the 3rd largest in the SEC. Also unveiled was a new 52 acre tailgating area, landscaped with over 650 trees and featuring a 100 foot wide pathway, called the "Garnet Way", that the team, band, and cheerleaders now walk through as they enter the stadium. In 2015, the surface parking lot surrounding the stadium was replaced with a landscaped promenade named "Springs Brooks Plaza", named for the family of Robert H. Brooks. The project included a half-mile of ornamental fencing, planting of 340 trees, and the installation of 220 light poles and 38 benches. Also added were a restroom building and a 12,000-square-foot structure housing ticket sales and a merchandise store in addition to a command center for EMS and police. The project expanded the number of ticket windows from five to eight, enlarged the student entrance and relocated parking for television trucks to improve the flow of pedestrian traffic. In 2020, three club areas were renovated, lowering capacity for the 2020 season to 77,559. In 2022, 250+ LED stadium lights with the capability to display multiple colors were installed. In addition, an expansion of the west main concourse, new elevators and new ribbon display boards were also a part of stadium renovations for that year.


"If it ain't swayin', we ain't playin'"

The new east upper deck created some controversy during the 1983 season. Fans reported it was noticeably swaying—as much as a foot by some accounts. The swaying was especially pronounced during a game in which the Gamecocks routed Southern Cal 38–14. Joe Morrison was subsequently quoted as saying, "If it ain't swayin', we ain't playin'"—a phrase that eventually made it onto bumper stickers and other items, and is still a popular saying today. Giant shock absorbers were installed under the east upper deck for the 1987 season; however, during the 1988 season, many spectators reported seeing a ripple effect across the east upper deck when the marching band played the song "
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a Standard (music), stand ...
." The university indicated that the sway or ripple was safe. To this day, the east upper deck still sways when fans jump up and down. In addition, several parts of the stadium have been known to vibrate due to the decibel levels generated during a typical game.


Notable games

The Gamecocks won their first game at the stadium in 1934, beating Erskine 25–0, and have compiled an overall record at the stadium of 321–207-14 (including a homecoming record of 46–31) through the 2024 college football season. Some of the biggest wins for the Gamecock football program occurred at the stadium, including: *November 22, 1975 – South Carolina beat Clemson 56–20 to set a team record for most points scored in a game against Clemson (South Carolina's in-state rival). *September 13, 1980 – South Carolina beat Wichita State 73–0 to set a team record for largest margin of victory. *October 1, 1983 – South Carolina beat Southern California 38–14 to win its first game ever against the Trojans (the second and last meeting of these teams). *November 10, 1984 – #5 South Carolina beat #11 Florida State 38–26 to move up to #2 in the college football polls (the highest ranking ever achieved by the Gamecock football program). *November 21, 1987 – #12 South Carolina beat #8 Clemson 20–7 to win on national television with the highest combined rankings of the two programs entering the game. *October 31, 1992 – South Carolina beat #16 Tennessee 24–23 to win its first game ever against the Volunteers. *October 7, 1995 – South Carolina beat Kent State 77–14 to set a team record for most points scored in a game against any opponent. *September 9, 2000 – South Carolina beat #10 Georgia 21–10 to snap an 18-game losing streak in the SEC. *September 29, 2001 – #15 South Carolina beat Alabama 37–36 to win its first game ever against the Crimson Tide. *November 12, 2005 – South Carolina beat #12 Florida 30–22 to win its first game against the Gators since joining the SEC. *October 4, 2007 – #11 South Carolina beat #8 Kentucky 38–23 on a Thursday night nationally televised ESPN game, winning its first game over a top 10 SEC team. *September 24, 2009 – South Carolina beat #4 Ole Miss 16–10 on a Thursday night nationally televised ESPN game, winning its first game over a top 5 team at Williams–Brice. (USC beat #3 North Carolina 31–13 in Chapel Hill, NC on October 24, 1981.) This game also marked the debut of Sandstorm at Gamecock Athletic Events. *November 28, 2009 – South Carolina beat #15 Clemson 34–17 on ESPN; the Tigers went on to lose the ACC Championship against Georgia Tech the following week, 34–39. *October 9, 2010 – #19 South Carolina beat #1 Alabama 35–21 on CBS; beating the top ranked team in the country for the first time in school history and for the first time, winning a
SEC on CBS ''College Football on CBS Sports'' is the blanket title used for broadcasts of college football games that are produced by CBS Sports, for CBS and CBS Sports Network. CBS first televised regular season college football games in 1950, airing th ...
game (the team had previously won the 1995
Carquest Bowl The Pop-Tarts Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. Originally commissioned as the Sunshine Classic, it has undergone many name changes due to sponsorship rights. The bowl is op ...
, which aired on CBS). ESPN Gameday was hosted at South Carolina on the Horseshoe for this game. *October 6, 2012 – #6 South Carolina beat #5 Georgia 35–7 on ESPN; the game was the first time Carolina, as a Top-10 team, beat another Top-10 team. ESPN Gameday was hosted at South Carolina on the Horseshoe for this game. *November 30, 2013 – #10 South Carolina beat #6 Clemson 31–17. This game was the fifth-consecutive win against Clemson for the Gamecocks. *October 22, 2022 - South Carolina beat Texas A&M 30–24. This game was the first time South Carolina had beaten the Aggies since they joined the SEC in the 2014 season. South Carolina also obtained their first four game winning streak since 2013. *November 19, 2022 – South Carolina beat #5 Tennessee 63–38 on ESPN. The Gamecocks scored the most points against a top-five team as an unranked team in the history of the AP poll. *November 2, 2024 – South Carolina beat #10 Texas A&M 44–20 on ABC. First win over Texas A&M for South Carolina since 2022. Top-ten crowds at Williams–Brice Stadium


Other uses


Pro football

On August 30, 1990, the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
beat the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
35–7 in an
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
preseason game. In 1995, the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
of the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
proposed Williams–Brice Stadium as their original home while their permanent stadium was under construction in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, athletic director Mike McGee nixed the idea when he noted that the Gamecocks should be the only major football team in town. Despite the overwhelmingly negative public reaction to his comments, McGee maintained that he was acting in the best interest of the Gamecocks.


Concerts

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
and
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
performed at the stadium during their co-headlining Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour on September 7, 1992, with
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
as their opening act. On September 23, 1992, Irish
rock band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...
U2 performed at Williams–Brice Stadium with
Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
on the third leg of their
Zoo TV Tour The Zoo TV Tour (also written as ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. Staged primarily to support their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'' and later their 1993 album ''Zooropa'', the tour visited ...
. On May 7, 1993,
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
and his band performed at Williams–Brice Stadium on the North American leg of
The New World Tour In 1993, Paul McCartney and his band embarked upon The New World Tour, spanning almost the entire year and almost the entire globe. This tour featured a controversial pre-concert film (starting in the U.S leg of the tour), which was shown befor ...
. On September 25, 1994, British rock legends
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
performed at Williams–Brice Stadium with
Blind Melon Blind Melon is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of guitarists Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn, drummer Glen Graham, vocalist Travis Warren and bassist Nathan Towne. They are best known ...
during the first leg of their
Voodoo Lounge Tour The Voodoo Lounge Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Rolling Stones to promote their 1994 album '' Voodoo Lounge''. This was their first tour without bassist Bill Wyman, and their first with touring bassist Darryl Jones, as an additional ...
. A string of natural disasters hit in 1996, including a drought in the Great Plains and Hurricane Bertha in the Carolinas dealt substantial blows to family farm income and made it harder than ever for farmers to make a living from their land. Farm Aid coordinated a farmer to farmer haylift in which farmers from the Carolinas sent hay out to drought stricken farmers in Texas and Oklahoma. Farm Aid '96 was held in Columbia, South Carolina. As Farm Aid founder
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
stated at the news conference, "We are proud to hold Farm Aid '96 in Columbia, South Carolina, a region with a rich agricultural tradition and hard working men and women who struggle every day to make a living on the land. We hope this concert will remind the nation that we need to change the way we think about the food we eat and the people who grow it. It's important that we have someone there growing the food who cares for the land." The concert took place on October 12 and included Columbia's own Hootie and the Blowfish (who jammed onstage with Willie),
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
, the
Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by thei ...
,
John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation ...
,
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
,
Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocated to Nashville, T ...
,
Deana Carter Deana Kay Carter (born January 4, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter who broke through in 1996 with the release of her debut album '' Did I Shave My Legs for This?'', which was certified 5× Multi-Platinum in the United States f ...
, Grand Ole Opry star John Conlee,
Rusted Root Rusted Root is an American worldbeat rock band formed in 1990 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by singer-guitarist Michael Glabicki, bassist Patrick Norman and percussionist Liz Berlin. The band got its start as the house band playing a weekly gig in ...
, and Jewel. Once again, TNN: The Nashville Network, televised the show. On April 21, 2001,
George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds ...
played to 39,442 fans at Williams–Brice with opening acts
Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studi ...
,
Lonestar Lonestar (formerly known as Texassee) is an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Drew Womack (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Michael Britt (lead guitar, background vocals), Dean Sams (key ...
,
Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack (; born August 19, 1966) is an American singer and songwriter. She has charted 23 times on the American ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts; her highest peaking single there is her crossover signature song, " I Hope You Dance" ...
, and
Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You (David Kersh song), Another You". After this, he signed with ...
. On April 26, 2008, Knoxville native
Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country singer. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, he released his debut, '' In My Wildest Dreams'', in 1994, and has since released 19 follow-ups. His albums spawned 27 singles tha ...
played there with
Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1988 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer, Tim DuBois. Before thei ...
,
LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at the age of 13 and has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and o ...
, and
Gary Allan Gary Allan Herzberg (born December 5, 1967) is an American country music singer. Signed to Decca Records in 1996, he made his country music debut with the release of his single "Her Man (song), Her Man", the lead-off to his gold album, gold-cer ...
as part of his Poets and Pirates Tour. Chesney started his Poets and Pirates Tour at Williams–Brice Stadium. During the introduction of his set, his boot got caught between a hydraulic lift and the lip of the stage surface, which crushed his foot. On August 21, 2018,
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
and
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
performed at the venue with
DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...
and
Chloe x Halle Chloe x Halle (pronounced "Chloe and Halle") is an American alternative R&B duo consisting of sisters Chloe Bailey, Chloe and Halle Bailey. At a young age, the sisters performed in minor acting roles before traveling from their hometown of Mable ...
for the North American leg of their
On the Run II Tour The On the Run II Tour (stylized as OTR II) was the second co-headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z, also known as The Carters. The all-stadium concert tour began on June 6, 2018, in Cardiff, Wales and co ...
.


In film

In 1993, the stadium was the setting for '' The Program'', a college football movie starring
James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...
,
Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...
,
Omar Epps Omar Hashim Epps (born July 20, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, and producer. Epps's film roles include ''Juice (1992 film), Juice'', ''Higher Learning'', ''The Wood'', ''In Too Deep (1999 film), In Too Deep'', and ''Love & Basketball''. His ...
, Craig Sheffer, and
Kristy Swanson Kristy Swanson (born December 19, 1969) is an American actress. She is best recognized for having played Buffy Summers in the 1992 film ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and appeared in the 1996 film ''The Phantom''. Her first starring role was in ...
. The stadium was also featured in overhead footage for the final scene in the 1998 football comedy,
The Waterboy ''The Waterboy'' is a 1998 American sports comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It was written by Adam Sandler as well as Tim Herlihy and produced by Robert Simonds and Jack Giarraputo. Sandler also stars as the title character while Kathy Ba ...
.


Other events

In 1987,
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
, during a Papal visit to Columbia, spoke in front of 60,000 people at the stadium. That same year
Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...
held his South Carolina crusade at the stadium.
Promise Keepers Promise Keepers is an Evangelical Christian parachurch organization for men. It opposes same-sex marriage, and champions chastity and marital fidelity and the man as being head of the household. Promise Keepers originated in the United Sta ...
held one of their ministries at Williams-Brice on October 2–3, 1998. In December 2007,
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
attracted approximately 29,000 attendees to a presidential primary campaign stop. Also present was his wife
Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...
and
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...
.
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
beat
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
3–0 at the stadium on August 3, 2024 as part of a
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
preseason tour across the United States.


Traditions

Popular game day traditions include: *The playing of the "Dawn" section of ''
Also sprach Zarathustra , Op. 30 (, ''Thus Spoke Zarathustra'' or ''Thus Spake Zarathustra'') is a tone poem by German composer Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's 1883–1885 philosophical work of the same name.2001: A Space Odyssey'', as the Gamecocks run onto the field at the start of every game, which ''
Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' called "the most exciting pregame entry" in college football. *The playing of the Darude song "
Sandstorm A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transported b ...
" before the opening kickoff and after Gamecock touchdowns, leading the crowd into a frenzy, often even causing the press box to noticeably shake. Beginning in the 2022-23 season, this is accompanied by an LED light show. *Nationally recognized mascot, Cocky, roaming around the stadium throughout games with his trademark spirit and attitude. Cocky's "Magic Box" entrance at Williams–Brice Stadium is one of the many things that Cocky does to fire up the fans. Cocky won the UCA (Universal Cheerleading Association) Mascot Championship in 1986 and 1994. Cocky was also selected as the Capital One National Mascot of the Year for 2003.University of South Carolina Official Athletic Site – Spirit
/ref> *Fans joining in on many cheers and chants, including the popular "GAME" (shouted by the west side of the stadium) followed by "COCKS" (shouted by the east side). *Fans singing and dancing to "Go Carolina," "USC Fight Song," various renditions of "2001," and many other songs played by The University of South Carolina
Marching Band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...
. As one of the most well-known college bands in the country, the 375-member " Mighty Sound of the Southeast" continually performs music featuring guard, percussion, and dance units. *The fireworks from the scoreboard and "rooster crow" played over the loudspeakers when the Gamecocks score. During night games, this is accompanied by a strobe-like flicker of the LED stadium lights. *Tailgating is a favorite pastime for fans attending games at Williams–Brice, and many tailgaters consider pre-games at the stadium as one of the best atmospheres in the nation. The grounds around the stadium, including the State Fairgrounds, provide plenty of real estate for tailgating. Many clubs have also bought private property in the area and erected tailgating shelters. In 1990, a unique form of tailgating called the Cockaboose Railroad arrived in Columbia. 22 immovable
caboose A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting; as well as in keeping a lookout for load ...
s line an unused railroad track behind the south end of the stadium, and each Cockaboose provides private party space and cable television. There are also 18 additional cabooses and 4 passenger cars farther away from the stadium. Four condominium developments recently built around the stadium also cater primarily to Carolina football fans along with several tailgate pavilions with permanently deeded spaces. *The band plays the Alma Mater at the end of every football game and is the last song to be played in Williams–Brice until the next game.


See also

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List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 1 ...


Notes and references


External links

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Historical pictures


{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams-Brice Stadium Music venues in South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks South Carolina Gamecocks football South Carolina Gamecocks sports venues College football venues in South Carolina Soccer venues in South Carolina Works Progress Administration in South Carolina 1934 establishments in South Carolina Sports venues completed in 1934