Why Columbia is a great place for college hoops

Columbia is among the best mid-sized cities for college basketball fans.

While Gamecock fans have known this for years, a recent list of 2017’s Best & Worst Cities for College Basketball Fans confirmed it, listing Columbia at No. 17.

“Our fans love this school,” said USC men’s basketball coach Frank Martin, “no matter what sport it is.”

And it comes just as both Gamecock basketball teams open NCAA tournament play this weekend.

WalletHub compiled the “best” list, comparing the 291 U.S. cities with at least one Division I college basketball team. It considered the performance of the city’s teams, the number of championship wins, the number of regular season championship wins, the minimum season ticket price for a game, fan engagement on Twitter and Facebook and stadium capacity.

Columbia definitely compares favorably using those criteria – after all:

▪ The USC women’s basketball team just won its third consecutive SEC Tournament and fourth regular season SEC title. The team is headed to the NCAA tournament as a top seed – and opening regional rounds here in Columbia.

▪ The USC women have SEC Player of the Year A’ja Wilson.

▪  The USC men are headed to the NCAA tournament.

▪ The USC men have SEC Player of the Year Sindarius Thornwell.

▪  Coaches Dawn Staley and Frank Martin are both Twitter-savvy.

And there are other reasons Columbia is a great city for college basketball. Here are a few:

The games are fun. Even folks who may not be huge basketball fans enjoy attending USC games, where they might leave with the promise of a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich, a stuffed cow, a T-shirt or a coupon for free food from Fatz. “The contests and the fun stuff we do during timeouts are great,” said USC game emcee Curtis Wilson. “But when you have your teams doing well, it makes it a fun experience.”

The Vista. The entertainment district is an easy walk from Colonial Life Arena, making it an obvious destination for food and drink before and after the game. Whether you want fine dining, or a deli sandwich, numerous restaurants in The Vista can serve you.

Thirsty Fellow. How many college arenas have a restaurant and bar in the parking lot? OK, not literally, but the favorite pre- and post-game spot for many is definitely in the thick of those coming and going to the games.

Colonial Life Arena has been home to the Gamecocks since 2002. With seating for 18,000, it also has various food choices from cotton candy to chicken and waffles. It’s easy to navigate and exhibits the rich history of Carolina basketball.

Fans. Yes, the fans make it fun for the fans. The USC women led the nation in attendance for the second year in a row after the 2015-16 season averaging 14,364. Unofficially, USC averaged 12,853 this season, which should put them on top again.

“We have the best fans in the country,” Staley said. “Our fans are amazing, and coaches all over the country ask us what we’re doing to fill the seats. We do our part, but it’s our fans that create that environment that others want to be a part of.”

The Gamecock men averaged 13,396 this year including its last two games of more than 15,000 each – which helped set a program attendance record.

“It’s fun to play home games and come out and have 14, 15, 16,000 people when you take the court,” Martin said.

This story was originally published March 16, 2017 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Why Columbia is a great place for college hoops."