Gamecock Park is ready for USC football fans
The landscape surrounding Williams-Brice Stadium has come a long way in the last five years.
The home of South Carolina’s football team sits between the South Carolina National Guard headquarters and the city’s industrial-themed Shop Road. The once all-business appearence has given way to a more recreational Saturday afternoon experience.
The first major improvement was Gamecock Park, a landscaped tailgating area that replaced the old Farmer’s Market site adjacent to Williams-Brice. Gamecock Park opened in 2012 and started a dramatic makeover that is continuing with the upcoming completion of the Springs-Brooks Plaza around the stadium and an area to showcase a statue of Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers.
All of this has come at a price: $30 million for Gamecock Park and $14.5 million for the Springs-Brooks Plaza, which is expected to be completed in time for this season’s home opener Sept. 12 against Kentucky. In return, South Carolina gets an on-campus feel that makes a trip to a Gamecocks game a much more pleasant experience.
Josh Kendall
This story was originally published July 27, 2015 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Gamecock Park is ready for USC football fans."