South Carolina Gamecocks

GAMECOCKS

After struggling with several nicknames for more than a decade, the university began identifying itself with this fowl name in the early 1900s. The Gamecock is a fighting rooster trained to fight other roosters to the death. The sport, which once soared in popularity in many parts of the country, has now been outlawed in most states.

When considering the gamecock's traits and historical significance in South Carolina, it's easy to see that the school didn't pluck the nickname out of thin air. It's been suggested that the school's football teams at the turn of the century exhibited the aggressive and spirited characteristics often found in the fighting roosters. That fact combined with the state's long tradition with the breeding and training of the birds are reasons why the school earned the nickname. General Thomas Sumter, who gained fame as a guerilla fighter in the Revolutionary War, was known as the "Fighting Gamecock."

The first use of the nickname had "Game Cock" split into two separate words. Columbia, SC's morning newspaper, The State, shortened the term to one word in 1903. The name has nested in the hearts of South Carolina fans ever since.

A GRAND ENTRANCE

South Carolina sports officials have dubbed the Gamecocks "2001" entry onto the football field as one of the unique and electrifying pregame events in college football. Considering that The Sporting News magazine named it the best pregame entry in college football, it’s easy to see that they impress others.

The event focuses on the year 2001, the 200th birthday of the university. Intensity begins to build as the Gamecocks assemble in the stadium's southwest corner tunnel after leaving their locker room. The fans, often numbering more than 80,000, begin a roar of anticipation as the first notes of the theme song from "2001--A Space Odyssey" tingle the nerves of the crowd. The music continues to play, mixing enough drama to put the fans not already standing on the edge of their seats. In one final moment of pregame
ecstasy, the team storms the field in perfect coordination with the music, causing the Gamecock roost to roar.

 "ALL ABOARD!"

Perhaps the most eloquent form of collegiate tailgating takes place in the shadows of South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium, where 22 cabooses line a railroad track. The "Cockaboose Railroad" sits in a stationary position, but its occupants have a rolling good time with amenities provided such as cable television, running water, air conditioning and heating.

The tradition steamed ahead when a Columbia businessman and his wife began serving Gamecock tailgaters in 1990. All 22 of the cabooses offer luxurious interiors, especially when compared to the elements that many tailgaters are exposed to.