What are USC’s plans to develop around Williams-Brice Stadium? What we know
We learned in May of the progress South Carolina is making on the renovation plans for Williams-Brice Stadium.
There were renderings for the upgraded home of the Gamecocks that includes two new videoboards, 43 suites on the west side of the stadium (up from the current 18), an air-conditioned area for students, upgraded bathrooms and more.
And, well, it still left a question: Is South Carolina going to ever do anything with the nearly 900 acres around Williams-Brice that its been talking about for years?
“We are in the RFP (Request for Proposal) process and we expect as we get into the fall, we’ll have more updates there,” USC athletic director Jeremiah Donati told The State. “We’ve got a tremendous amount of interest from some potential partners that would provide a ton of value to Columbia and to that area. So that’s very exciting.”
What that means is, South Carolina has told developers to pitch them ideas on what they would do with the land — whether with the entire acreage or certain sections. When USC picks one of those design plans, it will then begin a land-lease deal with that developer, where the developer pays South Carolina to build on its land. The long-term effect: South Carolina would gain a revenue stream via the businesses operating on school-owned land.
But what would that look like?
For years, Columbia residents and South Carolina fans have wondered what could be done with so much land — most of which sits behind the football practice facility. Most have always assumed a golf course — or golf courses — would be constructed, given that over 800 acres sit in a flood zone.
And perhaps that’ll happen down the road.
“The golf stuff is for later days,” Donati said.
What the South Carolina athletic director thinks will begin sooner is a multi-use district on the land adjacent to the east side of Williams-Brice Stadium, the 6.6 acres right outside the east gates that currently serve as parking lots.
That, Donati said, could bring excitement around the stadium.
“Whether it’s condos, hotel, restaurants, bars,” Donati said, that type of entertainment district right outside of Williams-Brice.”
What Donati wants to see from the architects creating designs for an entertainment district is the incorporation of the stadium, for Williams-Brice Stadium to feel a part of the district. He points to Texas Live! — just outside of the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field — and The Battery, just outside of the Atlanta Braves’ home, Truist Park. Both of those districts are just steps away from the gates, intertwined with the stadiums they neighbor.
It means that the design or the entertainment district is hand in hand with the renovation of the east side of Williams-Brice Stadium, which hasn’t been a big focus of USC’s early renderings that depict changes for the venue.
“Because the way in which we would build out the stadium will help serve what’s outside the stadium,” Donati said. “So, in other words, if you’ve got a condo, you’re going to want to make sure that you’ve got access into the stadium. If you’ve got a hotel, you want to make sure that you’ve got (got access into the stadium).
He continued: “So we would be foolish to build them separately from the (stadium). It’s got to be connected.”
The timeline of such a project is unclear. Donati said to expect more details in the fall, so it’s reasonable to think South Carolina will pick a proposal in the next few months. From there, one would expect a timely start on construction because it’s the developer — not a state institution — on the hook to recoup their investment.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
