Here Comes the SEC: Get to Know South Carolina

Oklahoma and South Carolina have never met in football, something that is sure to change over the coming decade.

Ryan Chapman | Aug 1, 2021

With Oklahoma and Texas' move to the SEC, SI Sooners gives fans a quick catch-up on each program from the conference to learn your new rivals. Today: South Carolina.

Nickname: Gamecocks

Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Stadium: Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250)

Head Coach: Shane Beamer

Claimed Football National Titles: 0

Favorite Gameday Tradition: Being the first to secede/Trying to explain their mascot with a straight face

Football Royalty: Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz, Sterling Sharpe, George Rogers

Famous Alumni: Darius Rucker (and the rest of the Blowfish), Charlie Weis, Brad Guzan, Lee Atwater, William Henry Wallace

Of Note: Alright, let’s address the monkey in the room. A Gamecock is defined as “a rooster that was bred for fighting.” It has been the mascot at South Carolina for over 100 years. Dating back to 1903, the school was in search of a nickname. A local newspaper referred to the football team as the Gamecocks, and it stuck as the unofficial mascot for the team. Legend has it, students at South Carolina taunted the students at Clemson ahead of their 1902 clash by parading around with a drawing of a rooster crowing at the mighty Tiger. Clemson students became so incensed, that they literally marched upon South Carolina’s campus, swords and all. The South Carolina students responded by drawing pistols to defend the campus, and thankfully a civil war was avoided. But the name Gamecock stuck, and fans on both sides have had plenty of fun with the moniker ever since.

Series History with Oklahoma: The two teams have never met on the gridiron

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Published Aug 1, 2021

RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.