There’s something different about a college football game day in Columbia, where the University of South Carolina turns Williams-Brice Stadium into a spectacle all its own.
It’s the garnet and black filling the streets around the stadium, with generations of Gamecocks fans coming together long before kickoff.
It’s the traditions that have become part of the fabric of South Carolina football, from a pregame entrance that dates back more than four decades to a song that can turn nearly 80,000 fans into one giant bouncing, towel-waving crowd.
And then there’s Williams-Brice itself.
From the moment the team makes its way into the stadium to the final whistle, a fall Saturday in Columbia is filled with sights and sounds that are woven into the fabric of Gamecocks football.
For first-time visitors, it can be a lot to take in. Where else can you watch players storm onto the field to the opening notes of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” get swept up in a stadium-wide “Sandstorm” and see fans raise their hands in a toast during the alma mater?
Whether you’re a lifelong Gamecock or making your first trip to Columbia, here are five experiences that belong on every South Carolina football fan’s bucket list:
Watch the Gamecocks run out to ‘2001’
There are plenty of memorable entrances, but South Carolina’s is in a class of its own. As “2001: A Space Odyssey” echoes through Williams-Brice Stadium, the music swells, the crowd roars and the team hits the field at precisely the right moment in a tradition that dates to 1981.
Get caught in a ‘Sandstorm’
When Darude’s “Sandstorm” plays (and it plays a lot), Gamecocks fans bounce, wave their towels and join the rhythmic “USC” chants. What began during a 2009 game against Ole Miss quickly became one of the most recognizable traditions in South Carolina athletics.
Experience Gamecock Walk
Getting to Williams-Brice Stadium is part of the experience, with fans lining the Gamecock Walk route before each home game. The team is accompanied by the band and cheerleaders, giving fans a chance to see players up close, cheer them on and join the buildup before kickoff.
Cockaboose Railroad Tailgate
Few tailgates look like this — it’s one you have to see in person. The Cockaboose Railroad features extravagently renovated railroad cabooses where fans gather to eat, drink and celebrate before kickoff. It’s one of South Carolina’s most distinctive game-day traditions.
Raise a toast during ‘We Hail Thee Carolina’
Amid the noise of a South Carolina football Saturday, the alma mater brings one of the most meaningful traditions. When “Here’s a health, Carolina” is sung, fans raise their right hands with fingers cupped as if offering a toast. It’s a gesture that connects generations of Gamecocks.
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Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.