Columbia, SC, is the State Capitol of South Carolina and home to the University of South Carolina. On Saturdays in the fall, thousands flock to the state fair grounds to tailgate and watch their gamecocks play. Gamecock fans are a passionate group, but no game displays this passion more than when their hated instate rival the Clemson Tigers are on the schedule. Here is what I saw while tailgating in Columbia for the Clemson game on November 26th, 2011.
When preparing for a day of tailgating outside Williams-Brice Stadium, establishing your gameday menu is very important. With this game having a 7:45 kickoff, the tailgating menus were mostly catered toward the late lunch and dinner food items. Here is a sampling of what I saw gamecock fans cooking up.
There were grills cooking up riblets and sweet potato tater tots…
With the late kickoff, this tailgater was going “whole hog” and cooking a full pig.
Juicy and tender BBQ ribs…
Bacon wrapped shrimp and venison…
Plenty of grills were filled with a wide range BBQ chicken.
This tailgater decided that Turkey shouldn’t be just for Thanksgiving, it should also be for the Clemson game!
Covered in a mustard based BBQ sauce, these were so good that the would “fly” off the grill.
There were several tailgaters who embraced seafood at their tailgate.
These tailgaters chose either a seafood boil or steamed a bushel of oysters!
There were also great snacks like these candied almonds and bread loaf cheese dip.
Of course a tailgate isn’t complete without dessert For gamecock fans, nothing could be better than garnet colored red velvet cupcakes with a cream cheese icing!
Earlier I mentioned that the USC and Clemson rivalry was an intense one. Well I don’t think intense is strong enough. These two fan bases really despise one another on the field. Either side would be fine losing all their games, as long as they won the USC vs Clemson match up . With both schools being located in South Carolina, this was a large gathering of both USC and Clemson fans in attendance. This lead to a lot of sharing of tailgating space.
For example, look at this tailgating family. The parents are die hard Clemson fans, but one of their daughters is a student at USC. When tailgating, there were some concessions that either side had to make.
Some fans did it with flags and tent colors. The most interesting compromise I saw took place with a grill.
I am sure you have heard about a house divided, but how about a hog divided? Here a group of USC and Clemson fans decided to tailgate together, but they had to keep their food separate.
Red tomato based sauce for the USC side of the hog and an orange mustard based sauce for the Clemson fans! While this pig might have been split on who it was rooting for…
I don’t think there is any question as to who this hog supports.
At a rivalry game, it is very important to choose the correct color combination. Earlier in the season, I visited Clemson and showed you what Tiger fans wear on gamedays. While they stick to purple and orange, gamecock fans show their support through wearing garnet and black.
Some fans decide to go a more formal route with bow ties and button downs, while others prefer the more casual look of jerseys and T shirts…
Whether it be casual or formal, the only option for gamecock fans on gameday are to wear their garnet and black!
South Carolina’s tailgating occurs on and around the South Carolina State Fair Grounds.
Tailgating can also be found at the Farmer’s Market.
While these are the two largest lots to tailgate in, tailgating can also be found any smaller private alleys and lots all round the stadium.
I have seen tailgating on State Fair grounds at the TX vs OU game and at NC State, so tailgating on fair grounds is nothing unique. What makes South Carolina special is located on a rail line behind Williams-Brice Stadium.
22 former railroad cabooses have been transformed into…
The South Carolina Cockaboose Railroad. They might look like a rail car on the outside, but on the inside these tailgating condos are without a doubt the most unique and gorgeous tailgating set up there is. These gameday rail cars have all the modern comforts of home (electricity, indoor plumbing, running water) and can be used year round. Their best use is found on Saturday’s in the fall when they host dozens of passionate South Carolilna fans. Each car is decorated to the certain owners tastes and they all have a different design aesthetic to them.
On top, there is plenty of room to grill
and an amazing view to watch all the gameday festivities!
Thanks again to Mike for giving me a tour and showing me one of the best tailgating traditions out there !
Like most schools, tailgating is a huge event for South Carolina fans. Unlike most schools though, South Carolina fans make it a point to leave their tailgate and get to their seats early.
South Carolina’s fans enter the game to the tune from “2001 A Space Odyssey”and it is one of the most anticipated entrances in all of college football.
Fast forward to 2 minutes for the entrance to start.
Thank you again to all the fans I met in Columbia, I can’t wait to visit another gameday soon!
