USC football attendance was down in 2021. Here’s how Gamecocks stacked up in the SEC
South Carolina football attendance had one of the Southeastern Conference’s sharpest drops between the 2021 season and 2019 season, according to all SEC schools’ reported attendance figures.
Williams-Brice Stadium attendance averaged 89.91% of its 77,559-seat capacity for the 2021 regular season. In 2019, the last season stadiums were allowed full attendance before the COVID-19 pandemic, South Carolina football sold 97.15% of its seats in an 80,250-capacity stadium.
That 2019 figure can largely be attributed an attendance total of 81,954 for Alabama, plus additional sellouts for the Kentucky, Appalachian State and Clemson games, and near-sellouts against Florida.
Compare that with 2021, which saw sellouts for Kentucky and Clemson, just over 70,000 for Auburn and Florida, and then at or below 65,000 for three other games. South Carolina football attendance decreased by 7.24 percentage points from 2019 to 2021, the third-largest dip in the SEC.
The only SEC programs with a bigger change downward in attendance between 2021 and 2019 were Missouri, which dropped by 12.21 percentage points (86.49% to 74.28%), and Mississippi State, which dropped by 10.91 percentage points (91.6% to 80.69%).
South Carolina finished 6-6 in Shane Beamer’s inaugural season as head coach. The Gamecocks face UNC (6-6) in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte.
From 2018 to 2019, South Carolina had the conference’s largest leap in per-game attendance, which increased by 4,300. That year’s home slate included a game against Alabama, part of the Gamecocks’ rotation of SEC West opponents..
South Carolina’s overall attendance percentage for 2021 ranked eighth of the 14 SEC schools. Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Missouri and Vanderbilt filled less of its seats this season on average.
South Carolina reported one attendance figure larger than its capacity limit in 2021, counting 79,897 (or 103.01% of the 77,559 max) for its regular season finale against Clemson. The Gamecocks also filled 100% of Williams-Brice Stadium for their Sept. 25 matchup against Kentucky.
Attendance for the USC’s game against Troy on Oct. 2 was the 2021 season’s lowest, with 78.24% of Williams-Brice Stadium’s capacity filled. Beamer took notice and made a plea to Gamecocks fans in his postgame press conference.
“Going forward if you’re a season-ticket holder or if you’re somebody that has tickets to a game and you’re not going to come, please get those tickets to somebody else,” Beamer said. “There’s a bunch of great Gamecocks out there that would love to be in the stadium. Let me know and we’ll put it on social media and get some tickets given away, because we’ve got some great fans and we need every single one of them out there.”
Following Beamer’s callout on Oct. 2, South Carolina’s attendance tracked up in each ensuing game for the remainder of the season. USC also returned the student guest ticket option for the Florida and Auburn home games.
Two SEC stadiums, South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium and Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium, lost actual seats from 2019 to 2021. Both also suffered a dip in attendance for the most recent season, though Alabama’s drop was slim.
The Crimson Tide’s stadium capacity dropped from 101,821 to 100,077, a loss of 1,744 seats. Alabama averaged 99.31% attendance in 2019, dipping slightly to 98.64% in 2021.
Williams-Brice Stadium lost 2,691 seats in 2021 after renovations to Williams-Brice Stadium lowered stadium capacity to 77,559, down from 80,250.
As a whole, SEC stadiums were filled slightly less this season. The SEC filled 89.27% of its stadiums’ capacities in 2019 and totaled 88.56% attendance in 2021. Six SEC teams counted better attendance in 2021, while eight teams saw a decrease.
South Carolina home football attendance in 2021
Below are the school’s announced attendance figures and the percentage of seats filled among Williams-Brice Stadium’s 77,559 capacity.
- Eastern Illinois, Sept. 4: 64,868 (83.64%)
- Kentucky, Sept. 25: 77,559 (100%)
- Troy, Oct. 2: 60,686 (78.24%)
- Vanderbilt, Oct. 16: 64,695 (83.41%)
- Florida, Nov. 6: 70,131 (90.42%)
- Auburn, Nov. 20: 70,299 (90.64%)
- Clemson, Nov. 27: 79,897 (103.01%)
South Carolina home football attendance in 2019
Below are the school’s announced attendance figures and the percentage of seats filled among Williams-Brice Stadium’s 80,250 capacity.
- Charleston Southern, Sept. 7: 70,698 (88.1%)
- Alabama, Sept. 14: 81,954 (102.12%)
- Kentucky, Sept. 28: 80,828 (100.72%)
- Florida, Oct. 19: 78,883 (98.3%)
- Vanderbilt, Nov. 2: 71,945 (89.65%)
- Appalachian State, Nov. 9: 80,849 (100.75%)
- Clemson, Nov. 30: 80,580 (100.41%)
2021 SEC average home football attendance
Ranked by percentage of announced attendance relative to stadium capacity.
- 1. Texas A&M (100.15%)
- 2. Georgia (100%)
- 3. Alabama (98.64%)
- 4. Auburn (98.51%)
- 5. Florida (96.19%)
- 6. LSU (92.66%)
- 7. Kentucky (92.3%)
- 8. South Carolina (89.91%)
- 9. Ole Miss (88.19%)
- 10. Arkansas (85.9%)
- 11. Tennessee (84.32%)
- 12. Mississippi State (80.69%)
- 13. Missouri (74.28%)
- 14. Vanderbilt (58.14%)
SEC home football attendance differences
From 2019 to 2021 seasons (not including 2020’s pandemic season)
- 1. Arkansas (70.74% to 85.9%, up 15.16 percentage points)
- 2. Ole Miss (75.32% to 88.19%, up 12.87 percentage points)
- 3. Kentucky (87.1% to 92.3%, up 5.2 percentage points)
- 4. Texas A&M (98.91% to 100.15%, up 1.24 percentage points)
- 5. Florida (95.64% to 96.19%, up 0.55 percentage points)
- 6. Auburn (98.07% to 98.51%, up 0.44 percentage points)
- 7. Georgia (100.08% to 100%, down 0.08 percentage points)
- 8. Alabama (99.31% to 98.64%, down 0.67 percentage points)
- 9. Tennessee (85.76% to 84.32%, down 1.44 percentage points)
- 10. LSU (98.55% to 92.66%, down 5.89 percentage points)
- 11. Vanderbilt (65.15% to 58.14%, down 7.01 percentage points)
- 12. South Carolina (97.15% to 89.91%, down 7.24 percentage points)
- 13. Mississippi State (91.6% to 80.69%, down 10.91 percentage points)
- 14. Missouri (86.49% to 74.28%, down 12.21 percentage points)
This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 9:39 AM.
