Williams-Brice Stadium Renovations: What It Means for South Carolina Fans
As South Carolina prepares to move forward with major renovations to Williams-Brice Stadium, some fans are worried they’ll be the ones paying the price—literally and figuratively.
With the 2025 football season set to be the final one before construction begins, one question looms: Will these upgrades come at the cost of the average Gamecock fan?
Just before the 2024 home finale against Wofford, South Carolina proudly announced that it had sold out all seven home games—a clear sign of the program’s rabid fan support. But not everyone is celebrating the upcoming changes.
“Please don’t take away our seats. We’re using them. All of them. Every single game,” one fan pleaded on social media.
Luxury Upgrades vs. Stadium Capacity
At the core of the renovation plan is the addition of premium suites—a necessity in today’s college football landscape. Williams-Brice currently has only 18 suites, the fewest in the SEC and among the lowest in the entire FBS. The demand for these high-priced seating options is huge, making them a critical revenue stream for the program.
But here’s the tradeoff: Adding suites means sacrificing space, which means stadium capacity will inevitably drop.
“We would not go under 70,000 seats,” former athletic director Ray Tanner assured fans last October. “Probably low 70s when it’s all said and done—if we do the whole thing.”
However, new athletic director Jeremiah Donati has taken a more cautious approach, saying on his podcast:
“I think there’s a way to do this with minimal loss of seats. We’re also looking at a couple different options. I know it’s really important to our fans that we don’t lose capacity—and it is to me as well.”
Do Fans Actually Fill Williams-Brice?
But is shrinking stadium capacity really a big deal? A closer look at South Carolina’s 2024 attendance numbers suggests it might not be.
Despite reported sellouts for all seven home games, the actual scanned ticket count—meaning the number of people who actually entered the stadium—averaged just under 66,000 per game.
That’s a solid number, and one of the best attendance rates in years, according to Lance Grantham, USC’s senior associate AD for ticketing and parking.
“It’s the highest percent scan of tickets issued we’ve had in a very long time—we’re talking about the Spurrier heyday,” Grantham said.
Even with an announced attendance of 79,000+ per game, the Gamecocks never actually scanned 70,000 fans into Williams-Brice once last season.
Fewer Seats, Higher Demand?
With renovations likely to remove seats, the biggest impact might not be on overall attendance but rather on ticket pricing and availability.
With fewer seats available, single-game ticket prices—especially for marquee matchups—could rise on the secondary market.
However, season ticket sales suggest there’s still plenty of room for fans. South Carolina sold fewer than 45,000 season tickets last year, meaning there are thousands of single-game tickets available each week.
“Making it the best product possible is the priority,” Grantham added. “Improvements and modernization are what we need more than anything else.”
So, while some longtime fans may be displaced, the big-picture goal is clear: Make Williams-Brice Stadium a premier venue while keeping the Gamecock faithful front and center.
