Black box or Cockaboose? Vote for your favorite Cocky entrance in our poll
When the bird appears, you know it’s time to play.
If you’ve ever attended a University of South Carolina football game at Williams-Brice Stadium, you undoubtedly know that the pregame festivities — all the pomp and circumstance with the marching band and the national anthem and the hype videos on the jumbo screen — are an intrinsic part of the scene. And it all culminates with the team’s entrance to the theme from “2001” and the appearance of the team’s beloved mascot, Cocky.
Now, longtime fans will recall that, for years, Cocky’s appearance during “2001” went the same way. Essentially, a large black box would be wheeled out onto the field during the pregame. A black curtain — I always called it the “shower curtain” — would be raised above the box, and smoke would arise from it during the early strains of “2001.” Then, as the song was reaching its crescendo, the curtain would fall and Cocky would “magically” appear, delighting the masses.
But since 2023 there’s been a new entrance for the famed mascot. In this version, a train from the Cockaboose Railroad chugs onto the field during the pregame hype, from which a celebrity starter — the person who leads the “Game-Cocks” cheer — typically emerges. And, as ever, Cocky makes his entrance during the strains of “2001,” but now he rises from the top of the train. The fans — especially youngsters — remain enthused.
While the Cockaboose entrance has become common for Cocky in the last two years, fans got a taste of the old days on Sept. 6 during the Gamecocks’ home opener against S.C. State. Because of strong storms and rain in the Columbia area through much of the evening, the game, scheduled for 7 p.m., was delayed for nearly two and a half hours. As such, the full pregame presentation didn’t happen on the field, and the Cockaboose train stayed in its station. Instead, staffers rolled out the old black box and curtain, and Cocky “magically” appeared the way he used to.
Which got us to thinking: Which of the two Cocky entrance methods do fans love the most? Is it the old way with the curtain drop? Or do they prefer the train?
Vote for your favorite Cocky entrance method in the poll below. We’ll keep the poll live until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16.
So, vote early and vote often, and always make sure you’re in your seat by the time “2001” starts.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM.
