Best Sports Venue: Williams-Brice Stadium

Best Sports Venue

Williams-Brice Stadium

Gracie Bryant

There’s nothing quite like Saturdays in South Carolina.”

This quote holds true all the time, but it’s especially resonant during football season. Whether it’s 90 degrees and sunny or pouring down rain, you can find Williams-Brice Stadium packed full of students, alumni and avid Gamecock supporters, young and old, cheering on their football team and waving rally towels during Sandstorm. There is no denying that the energy within Williams-Brice Stadium is unmatched.

Since October 1934, when the doors to Williams-Brice were first opened, Carolina fans have used it as a stage to express their loyalty and have their voices heard, literally. According to ESPN, Willy-B, as it is affectionately known, is considered one of the loudest sports venues in the country. Carolina football games average 80,000 people in attendance, but the record was set in 2012 when over 85,000 people watched the Gamecocks beat the Georgia Bulldogs.

The magic of Willy-B is also shared throughout the community. High school state championships, concerts and other events are held within the stadium as well.

If you’ve never been a part of a sandstorm within Williams-Brice Stadium or seen the fireworks explode above you after a Gamecock touchdown, put it on your bucket list. It’s a chills-down-your-arms, surreal experience that you have to feel for yourself.

Tickets to football games are available for students through the Gamecock Rewards app, and additional information can be found online.

Elyse Pellegrino / Garnet Media Group