The University of South Carolina Gamecocks
Athletics at USC. The University of South Carolina in Columbia is home to 18 varsity men and women’s team sports. Men compete in baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and track and field. Women compete in basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
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The Gamecocks Mascot. The University of South Carolina is the only major college athletic program in the country that uses "Fighting Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. The University's athletic teams have been known as Gamecocks for almost 100 years. At the turn of the century (1900), after struggling for more than a decade under numerous nicknames, the school's football team was first referred to unofficially as "Gamecocks."In 1903, Columbia's morning newspaper, The State, shortened the name to one word and USC teams have been Gamecocks ever since. Those early teams must have been a feisty, spirited group, because a gamecock is a fighting rooster known for its spirit and courage. The USC Gamecock mascot, "Cocky," is a familiar sight at a variety of the school’s athletic events. He appears at all home and road football and basketball games, and at home baseball games. [Top]Cheer the Gamecocks and Stay at the Inn. William-Brice Stadium is only 2 miles from the Inn at USC, which is located right in the heart of the beautiful University of South Carolina campus in historic Columbia. Other sports forums, including the Colonial Center arena, are also minutes away from the hotel. If you’re an alum or alumna returning to USC for a reunion, are visiting the campus with a prospective student, or are simply attending an exciting athletic event, stay at the Inn for its convenience and deluxe lodgings. You’ll find luxury amenities like free wireless Internet service, complimentary hot breakfasts, and decadent pillow-top beds. [Top]
Williams-Brice Stadium. Home to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks Football team is Williams-Brice Stadium, recognized as one of the finest facilities in all of college football. USC annually ranks among the nation's leaders in attendance, and Gamecock fans are regarded as some of the most loyal in the country. Williams-Brice Stadium, formerly Carolina Stadium, was first constructed in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Then it seated 17,600. It has undergone a number of expansions and revisions over the years, with the largest prior to the 1982 expansion coming in 1971-72. A bequest from the estate of Mrs. Martha Williams Brice helped boost the capacity then from slightly more than 43,000 to more than 54,000. The Williams-Brice Stadium now has a capacity of 80,250. [Top]
