South Carolina approves new athletics fee for students. Here’s what we know
As South Carolina’s athletic department looks for new revenue streams in the wake of the House settlement, USC students will now foot a larger bill.
For years, South Carolina has offered an $52 athletics fee per semester for full-time students ($104 annually) — and an optional $86 per semester fee ($172 annually) for part-time students — that allowed those enrolled at USC to attend every Gamecock sporting event. Granted, students had to enter a lottery for the chance to attend football games.
Those benefits will all remain. Now a new “athletics auxiliary fee” of $300 annually is being added for students, and it’s on top of the $104 fee that’s already in place, a USC spokesman confirmed to The State.
“Access to world-class athletic events is one of the many reasons students are attracted to USC,” athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a statement Friday. “In order to stay competitive in an evolving collegiate landscape, we have to create environments where students can have a great fan experience while cheering on the Gamecocks.”
When accounting for the fact that South Carolina had around 38,300 students enrolled during the fall 2024 semester, a $300 athletics auxiliary fee would generate nearly $11.5 million in new revenue.
As a refresher: Because of a recently signed settlement, all schools are now allowed to share revenue with their student-athletes, up to $20.5 million next year.
According to South Carolina’s Friday news release that announced the university’s newly approved budget, the additional student-fee revenue will not go toward the 50-plus athlete scholarships USC plans to add next year or toward the upcoming Williams-Brice Stadium renovations. It also won’t be used for any of South Carolina’s House settlement payouts, the school says.
So what exactly is the new $300 fee going toward? South Carolina says it will “continue student access to athletics events/ticket lottery, address increased event/program operating costs, and enhance the student experience across multiple USC sporting venues. Enhancements will include student centered in-game activity and promotions, facility upgrades and additional support for health/safety staffing at athletics events.”
South Carolina is not alone in upping its student athletics fees.
Last year, Clemson also announced a mandatory $300 athletics fee despite never having such a fee in the past. Florida charges an athletics fee of around $2 per credit hour. As of 2024, Georgia charged $53 per semester.
Clemson’s new student fee will be used “solely for athletic operations expenses directly associated with student-athlete services and student experience,” athletic director Graham Neff said.
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 4:29 PM.
