What is USC football fans’ favorite Cocky entrance? See the results of our poll
When it comes to their favorite way for beloved mascot Cocky to enter Williams-Brice Stadium during pregame festivities, University of South Carolina football fans apparently prefer to look for the locomotive. But just barely.
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 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.
After weather significantly delayed the start Gamecocks’ first home game against S.C. State on Sept. 6, USC opted not to roll the Cockaboose train onto the field that night, and instead deferred to the old black box Cocky entrance.
That got us wondering: Which Cocky entrance for Gamecocks football games is the best, the black box or the Cockaboose train? The State ran a poll from Sept. 10 to Sept. 16, asking fans to vote for their preferred entrance.
When the smoke cleared, 53% of the votes favored the new school Cockaboose train entrance, while 47% voted for the old-school black box. More than 1,000 votes were cast in the poll.
USC is on the road this weekend, playing at Missouri at 7 p.m. Sept. 19. The next home game will be at 7:45 p.m. Sept. 27 against Kentucky.
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
