College football fans across the country like to boast about having a loyal fanbase. But the South Carolina Gamecock fans proved once again that they might take the crown, and that they are eager to witness a huge turnaround this season.
South Carolina's Week 1 home opener against Kent State on Saturday afternoon is completely sold out, the football team announced on X on Wednesday:
Hot weather, hotter ticket.
— South Carolina Football (@GamecockFB) September 2, 2026
See you soon 🤙 pic.twitter.com/AL5jodPN5D
That's an impressive accomplishment, especially with the forecasted weather expected on-hand for the Gamecocks' first game of the season. According to local forecasts, the humidity in Columbia will cause heat index values to go as high as 103-108 degrees. The forecast is expected to be around 102 at Noon ET, reaching 107 around 3 p.m. ET. There could also be a chance for an isolated storm at some point during the game, which comes of no surprise due to how humid it is expected to be.
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Williams-Brice Stadium has a capacity of 77,559, and it should feel and sound like closer to 80,000 fans when Saturday's game kicks off. South Carolina ranked 14th nationally in home attendance last season, averaging 79,334 for all seven home games, which were also all sellouts. Gamecock fans are also likely looking forward to seeing the stadium's new $350 million renovation project, which was wrapped up this week.
Coach Beamer told reporters this week how excited he was to have fans back in South Carolina's home stadium.
“New stadium, a renovated stadium," Beamer said via Gamecock Central. "Excited for the fans to get in there and see that. Players, coaches, everybody. Certainly, as we’re encouraging recruits, get here early. We know we’re going to have 80,000 people all coming in here about the same time on Saturday morning.
"Make sure everybody gives plenty of time and leaves plenty of time for traffic. Hopefully, traffic flow and all that is better than ever this year along with the stadium enhancements. But it’s going to be a great Saturday afternoon in Williams-Brice and need everybody in there early."
In addition to getting the benefit of kicking off a new season at home, South Carolina also gets a chance to show off its new-look offense in 2026. The unit returns star quarterback LaNorris Sellers, receiver Nyck Harbor and running back Matt Fuller. The game against Kent State will also be the first opportunity for fans to see Kendal Briles' new scheme, as he was one of the biggest names Coach Beamer hired this offseason.
For Gamecock fans, this will be great to have South Carolina open the season at home where the team belongs, as last year's Week 1 opener was against Virgina Tech in Atlanta. Saturday's game is set to kick off at 12:45 p.m. ET, and it will air live on SEC Network.
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