South Carolina football schedule avoids State Fair overlap for 2024 season

This week, it was announced that the South Carolina State Fair's theme would be "46 Reasons to Celebrate South Carolina." For South Carolina football fans, though, there are at least 47 reasons to celebrate.

Coming with the theme announcement was the State Fair's dates, and as many had speculated, the Gamecocks' 2024 football schedule will not have any overlap with the fair.

The 2024 edition of the South Carolina State Fair will take place from Wednesday, October 9th to Sunday, October 20th. The Gamecocks play a home contest against the Ole Miss Rebels on October 5th (so, construction on the fair will have started), but then USC goes on the road for two weeks to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Norman, Oklahoma, respectively, before a Bye Week finishes the month.

While there are many fans who enjoy doubling up on a fall Saturday with the State Fair and a trip to Williams-Brice Stadium, and there is something special about a night game in Columbia with the neon lights of the Ferris wheel in the background, there are many South Carolina football fans who will not grieve dodging the fair on the 2024 football schedule.

With the fair comes a parking nightmare (the State Fairgrounds is a major parking venue when the fair is not in session), overcrowdedness, and an inevitable halftime student exodus to get funnel cakes and ride roller coasters. The fair also makes it more difficult for fans to get inside the stadium (thanks to the challenges with parking and the crowds), and the stands often are not full by kickoff.

If the schedule is, as expected, an exact mirror in 2025, the fair and Carolina football will intersect again soon, but it will not be this fall.

The Gamecocks will kick off their season on August 31st against the Old Dominion Monarchs. The game is scheduled for a 4:15 PM ET start and will be broadcast on the SEC Network and streamed on the ESPN app.