A Saturday playbook for patience as football, State Fair traffic collide
USC football fans and South Carolina State Fair patrons will need to consult a familiar playbook – packed with a dual dose of patience Saturday – when heading to Williams-Brice Stadium or the fairgrounds.
Columbia’s South Assembly Street will simply be busy.
USC’s daytime clash with Furman will mark the 24th time in the past 30 years that a University of South Carolina home game has fallen on a Saturday of the fair.
Here are a few traffic reminders for fans planning to attend one or both events at the neighboring venues.
PRE-GAME CRUNCH TIME: The morning drive will not be pretty. In-bound game traffic typically peaks about two hours before kickoff, which is at noon this week. But that will be heightened by early morning visitors to the fair, which opens at 10 a.m. that day. So commuters might want to allow an extra hour (or more) to reach their destinations. Inbound lane reversals will begin roughly two hours before kickoff, depending on traffic volume, and the Highway Patrol said it otherwise will follow the same traffic control procedures used for all home games.
PARKING: There will be no reserved Gamecock Club parking spots Saturday at the fairgrounds. The fair parking lot will open at 8 a.m., and parking will be free on a first-come, first-served basis. So football fans can still park among the fairgoers if spaces are available. But tents, awnings and other tailgating items will not be permitted in the passage ways of the parking lot. Motorists should enter the parking lot at Gate 6 along George Rogers Boulevard (the Assembly street side of the fairgrounds) or Gate 10 along Bluff Road.
SHUTTLES: This is an especially good week to consider taking a shuttle to the game. USC will offer its regular game day shuttles to Williams-Brice Stadium. Pickups will begin at 9 a.m. and run until about 90 minutes after the game, with limited service during the game. Pregame pickups will be at Colonial Life Arena/Coliseum Lot B and Blowfish Stadium, with drop-off at Rosewood Drive east of the fairgrounds’ Main Gate. Post-game pickup will be at the Rosewood Drive stop with drop-off at Blowfish Stadium and Colonial Life Arena/Coliseum Lot B. The ound-trip fare is $3 for the general public, free for USC students with a valid ID. Buses run about every 20 minutes. (Psst, fairgoers, you can use the shuttle, too, for the same price).
POST GAME: Traffic will be heavy again for several hours once the game ends – likely around 4 p.m. – as people leave the stadium and the fairgrounds. The Highway Patrol will reverse outbound lanes leading away from the stadium as usual. But the reversals will be limited to around 90 minutes this week, rather than the normal three hours, to allow for incoming traffic to the fair later in the evening.
CHOO-CHOO!: As always, be prepared for potential train delays. The area’s two major train companies do not alter their schedules based on football or fair traffic, according to the Highway Patrol.
FAIR GATE PROMOTION: The State Fair will offer free admission to participants in Saturday’s 24th Walk for Life/Race for Life wearing their official event T-shirts. Additionally, those with tickets to the football game be admitted to the fair free 10 a.m.-noon Saturday.
CROWD CONTROL: The last two times USC home games fell on a State Fair Saturday – in 2008 and 2009 – the Gamecocks faced SEC opponents, which typically draw more fans. This week’s game is against a non-SEC opponent, which often attracts a smaller crowd. Additionally, the State Fair traditionally takes a hit on attendance during home football weekends, with the usual crowds dropping by several thousand.
PLAY OF THE DAY: Patience, patience, patience
This story was originally published October 15, 2014 at 9:07 PM with the headline "A Saturday playbook for patience as football, State Fair traffic collide ."