Behind the Scenes of South Carolina’s Explosive Gameday Tradition
Saturdays in Columbia are more than just football — they’re a full-on spectacle. From the energy inside Williams-Brice Stadium to the beloved pregame traditions, South Carolina gamedays are unforgettable. But one element quite literally lights up the experience: the fireworks.
Whether launched from the video board, Cocky’s Cockaboose, or the field, the pyrotechnics have become a signature part of the Gamecocks’ atmosphere. They’re not cheap — averaging around $15,000 per game — but they’re brought to life by a dedicated crew of seven experts from Tennessee-based Pyro Shows.
Among them is Russ Ellis, the on-site manager who oversees the entire fireworks display and personally handles the Cockaboose launch. Ellis, who has worked for Pyro Shows since 1987 and is now in his fifth season with USC, says the job began with a childhood passion.
“Growing up as a kid, I always enjoyed fireworks — going out, buying consumer fireworks and just shooting them in the backyard,” Ellis told The State. “And then I found out I could get paid to shoot fireworks for other people.”
Crafting the Show
Every season, Ellis begins by designing the “touchdown shots” — the celebratory blasts that accompany scores.
“Touchdowns and scores are always predetermined and set at the beginning of the season to always have a particular look, and that will be the way South Carolina looks, with the correct colors and the types of devices,” he explained.
Unlike many schools, USC requests fireworks for both touchdowns and field goals, meaning Ellis’ team brings a huge supply.
“All in all, it’s about 600 pieces of product that we shoot,” he said.
The fireworks are manufactured in Spain by Pirotecnia Caballer and tested in Tennessee before being loaded onto a truck and delivered to Columbia. On gameday, they’re hauled through the Floyd Building and staged at either the video board or field level, where three operators use a wireless system to set them off at the right moment.
“When he selects up touchdown and then hits fire, it goes through and wirelessly tells all those modules to shoot that touchdown (shot),” Ellis said.
Special hype videos add even more complexity, with Ellis sometimes spending four hours programming a two-and-a-half-minute sequence.
What If USC Scores Too Much?
Ellis says that running out of fireworks isn’t a real concern — though South Carolina came close in 2022 when the team put up nine touchdowns against Tennessee.
“We always come with 10 touchdowns that we go in ahead and get loaded,” he said. “We always bring an additional five touchdowns that we have with us if they have an unbelievably high-scoring game.”
To actually deplete their supply, USC would need to outscore Stephen F. Austin’s 98-point performance in 2022, which included 15 scoring drives.
Looking Ahead
With $350 million in renovations planned for Williams-Brice Stadium after the 2025 season, Ellis and USC officials are already considering how fireworks will fit into the new design. According to Ellis, the changes will only open up more possibilities.
“We’ve been in discussions with Joe [O’Clair] and with their design group about some future locations that we may be able to add as additional locations to shoot fireworks from,” Ellis said.
One idea is to use the new south end zone videoboards as another launch site, allowing fireworks to fire from both ends of the stadium.
“It should not change on the video board side, because your clearance from top of board to fans is going to be about the same,” said Joe O’Clair, USC’s associate AD for marketing and fan experience. “I think the question would be is, can stuff be shut off the south ramps or whatever goes in those areas?”
For now, the tradition remains a booming centerpiece of South Carolina football Saturdays — and it’s only set to get bigger.
