From a ‘party’ to a ‘big boy’ clash — what to expect at USC’s home SEC games
And now things get serious, even for fans.
After a 2-0 start that includes an opening weekend win against Virginia Tech in Atlanta and a 38-10 victory over S.C. State last weekend in a contest marred by a two-hour-plus weather delay, the University of South Carolina football team is now set to host its first 2025 Southeastern Conference home game. The No. 11 Gamecocks will welcome Vanderbilt (2-0) to Williams-Brice Stadium for a 7:45 p.m. tilt on Sept. 13.
The game against the Commodores will be the first of four SEC games at William-Brice Stadium in 2025. USC also has remaining nonconference home games against Coastal Carolina (Nov. 22) and archrival Clemson (Nov. 29).
The SEC home schedule is always a mixed bag for both the teams and the fans, and usually brings with it a slate of conference foes that are either familiar opponents that have often appeared in Columbia or those that pop up on the schedule less frequently.
Excitement for this year’s USC team remains sky high (the Vanderbilt game this weekend is sold out), and there are almost certainly some casual-to-increasingly-interested fans out there thinking about attending one of this year’s SEC games at Williams-Brice. Below you’ll find a little fan’s guide, if you will, to each of the four SEC home tilts in 2025.
Vanderbilt - The surprisingly chippy one (Sept. 13)
This year’s edition of what has been an annual meeting doesn’t quite feel like some of the Vandy games of the past. South Carolina has won 16 consecutive games in this series, and downed the Commodores by three touchdowns a year ago.
But this time Vanderbilt comes to Columbia riding high after crushing Virginia Tech in Blacksburg just a week ago, and Coach Clark Lea has the Commodores program broadly on the upswing. Add in Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia saying that he had the South Carolina game “circled” on the schedule, and there could be a spicy matchup in the offing.
If you don’t have tickets yet, best of luck. The game is sold out, and the cheapest resale tickets on Ticketmaster were going for about $130 as of the afternoon of Sept. 11. As for the visiting fan contingent, Vandy doesn’t typically bring the largest away crowd to Williams-Brice, though they undoubtedly bring the smartest. If you are in need of a good tax attorney on Saturday, you may be in luck.
With a sold-out affair on-tap, you can expect traffic before the game to be considerable, though with a 7:45 kickoff, fans will likely be arriving to the stadium area throughout the day, rather than crushing in all at once.
What to take to the tailgate: Nashville hot chicken, of course, in a nod to the visitors’ home town. There are a couple places to grab some Nashville hot in Columbia, including Cocky Rooster in Five Points and Dave’s Hot Chicken on Devine Street. Dave’s has varying heat levels on its chicken strips, including a “Reaper” version for which you have to sign a waiver.
Kentucky - Always a party (Sept. 27)
The Gamecocks and Kentucky have been annual foes for decades, and the series has largely been quite competitive, with South Carolina holding a 21-14-1 edge over the Wildcats.
The temperature in the series has turned up in the last few years, particularly after 2022 remarks from Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops that were perceived as referring to USC Coach Shane Beamer wearing “stupid sunglasses” in a hype video. The Gamecocks have won the last three games in the series since the whole sunglasses blow-up, including an especially juicy 2023 home game in which famed DJ Darude — the originator of the “Sandstorm” song that has been lovingly embraced by USC — appeared at a night game at Williams-Brice.
Tickets to this year’s Kentucky game are pretty scarce (this is a recurring theme so far in 2025), with resales on Ticketmaster going for around $140 as of Sept. 11. A game time has not ben set for the Sept. 27 game, but it was listed as a “flex” game in the time windows released prior to the season, meaning it could start in the 3:30-4:30 p.m timeframe, or between 6 and 8 p.m.
What to take to the tailgate: Zesto of West Columbia. On a superficial level, their colors are blue-and-white, just like the Kentucky’s. But grabbing Zesto for pregame munching is also just a clutch move, in general. They’ve been delighting diners for nearly eight decades, and a bucket of their chicken and some iced tea is perfect tailgate fare.
Oklahoma - The fair game (Oct. 18)
The Sooners, who entered the SEC just a year ago, are a newer entry to the Gamecocks’ schedule, and they’ll hit town on what will be quite a weekend for fans.
The matchup on the field will, of course, be intriguing. As of this writing, South Carolina is ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll, and Oklahoma is ranked 13th. The early going has been solid for the Sooners and Coach Brent Venables, who are looking to bounce back from a 6-7 season a year ago. Last year’s results included a 35-9 defeat at the hands of South Carolina in the first ever meeting between the two schools.
Ticket availability is looking tight for the Oklahoma game at the moment (surprise), with resales in the $150 range on Ticketmaster a month out from the Oct. 18 game, which is slated to kickoff in an early window between noon and 1 p.m.
But the game won’t be the only revelry in the stadium area on Oct. 18. That also will be the final weekend of the South Carolina State Fair at the fairgrounds next door. The annual “fair game” — when a football home game and the State Fair overlap — is always a time for drivers to pack their patience and fans, especially those with families, to try to squeeze in both activities.
What to take to the tailgate: Actually, for this one I’ll encourage you to roam from the tailgate and grab some food from the State Fair. I mean, obviously. Who can turn down a good deep fried Oreo, a cup of Fiske Fries or a cinnamon dusted elephant ear? Personally, I’ll always be partial to the corn dogs from Daley’s Dogs.
Alabama - The big boy (Oct. 25)
When your team plays in the SEC, every game is a big game. But you have to admit that some feel bigger than others.
That’s certainly the case anytime Alabama comes to town. While the jury certainly is still out on second-year Coach Kalen Deboer’s tenure at the helm for the Crimson Tide, it’s no secret that Bama has, broadly, been the premier program in the SEC for many years, and the Oct. 25 meeting at Williams-Brice could be a showdown of ranked teams.
As you would imagine, the Alabama game in Columbia will be a hot ticket, and as of Sept. 11 the lowest priced resale ticket on Ticketmaster was an eye-popping $370. Kickoff time for USC-Alabama game hasn’t been set, but you can expect traffic to be on sicko mode. In fact, maybe you should just get in your car and start heading to the stadium right now.
What to take to the tailgate: The Alabama game feels right for barbecue, and you’ve got some choices in the Midlands. But if you are going to make it a red letter kind of day, my go-to spots would be City Limits Barbeque, the James Beard Award-nominated joint in West Columbia, or True BBQ, the amazing hole-in-the wall spot on D Avenue in the Triangle City area of West Columbia.
