|
in dollars) $30 million (renovations) | former_names = Columbia Municipal Stadium (1934–1940) Carolina Stadium (1941–1972) | tenants = South Carolina Gamecocks (NCAA) (1934–present) | seating_capacity = 17,600 (1934-1948) 34,000 (1949-1956) 42,517 (1957-1959) 43,099 (1960-1962) 43,232 (1963-1965) 42,238 (1966-1970) 56,140 (1971) 53,865 (1972-1973) 54,564 (1974-1981) 72,400 (1982-1995) 80,250 (1996-present) | record_attendance = 85,199 (October 6, 2012 vs University of Georgia) |}} Williams-Brice Stadium is the home football stadium for the South Carolina Gamecocks, the college football team representing the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. It is currently the 20th largest college football stadium in the NCAA and is located on the corner of George Rogers Boulevard and Bluff Road adjacent to the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. Carolina football teams consistently attract standing-room-only crowds to Williams-Brice Stadium. The atmosphere on game days has been voted "the best" by SECsports.com (See 9/15/05 and 9/17/07 at ().) In addition to serving as the home of the Gamecocks, the stadium has been the site of many concerts, state high school football championships, and various other events. It hosted the annual Palmetto Capital City Classic between Benedict College and Johnson C. Smith University until the last game in 2005. The stadium is sometimes called "The Cock Pit" by Gamecock fans and local media, and the name has been commonly used by these groups since at least the early 1970s when the university held a fund-raising campaign to raise money for an AstroTurf playing surface, called "Carpet the Cockpit".〔(History runs deep at Williams-Brice Stadium )〕 ==History== The stadium was originally built in 1934 with help of federal Works Progress Administration funds as Columbia Municipal Stadium. It originally seated 17,600 people in what roughly corresponds to the lower level of the current facility's east and west grandstand seats. In 1941, the stadium was deeded to USC and renamed Carolina Stadium. One end of the stadium was filled in during the 1940s, turning it into a horseshoe. Capacity was almost doubled, to 34,000. More than a decade later, the other end was filled in, turning the stadium into a bowl. Capacity increased to 43,000. The stadium's first major renovation began in 1970, when the grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf. From 1971 to 1972, the west grandstand was completely rebuilt, with the addition of an upper deck. Capacity increased to 54,000. The renovation was funded by the estate of Martha Williams and Howard Brice, who left some of their estate to USC for stadium renovation and expansion. Her late husband, Thomas H. Brice, played football for the Gamecocks from 1922 to 1924. In their honor, the expanded stadium was officially renamed Williams-Brice Stadium on September 8, 1972 by a bequeath from their nephews Tom and Phil Edwards. In 1982, the east grandstands were finally double-decked, increasing capacity to 72,400. However, unlike the west grandstand, the east grandstand was never rebuilt, and is the only remaining portion of the original 1934 structure. During the 1983–84 offseason, at the urging of new coach Joe Morrison, the university removed the AstroTurf and replaced it with natural grass. Over the last 10 years, nearly $30 million of renovations and improvements have taken place at Williams-Brice Stadium, bringing the official capacity to 80,250. The addition of the upper deck in the south end zone includes "The Zone," which is an banquet facility located in a prime seating location. The box seats, executive suites, and athletic training facilities at the stadium have also been upgraded. Just prior to the 2008 football season the stadium underwent a complete upgrade to the main sound system. During this upgrade the school added a large array of subwoofers under the scoreboard to enhance the "feel" of their entrance music (the theme song to "2001: A Space Odyssey). Installation of this system was done by local Columbia company ACS Sound and Lighting. Williams-Brice Stadium was sold out prior to the start of each of the last seven college football seasons and consistently ranks in the top 20 in average attendance and the top 15 in total attendance. For the 2008 season, the stadium was 17th in average attendance and 13th in total attendance.〔(2008 NCAA Attendance Report (FBS) )〕 On October 6, 2012, the stadium's single-game attendance record was set when 85,199 fans watched the #6 Gamecocks beat #5 Georgia by the score of 35–7. The stadium is considered one of the loudest venues in the country. During a game against Florida in 2001, ESPN announcers indicated that they had to shout to hear each other's comments inside the pressbox. ESPN's GameDay crew has broadcast its show four times (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006) from the State Fairgrounds across the street from the stadium. (In 2010, 2012, and 2014, GameDay was broadcast from The Horseshoe on campus.) ESPN also used a photo of the stadium in its advertising to promote its GameDay show throughout the 2005 college football season. To open the 2012 season, the stadium featured a new Daktronics 36 foot high by 124 foot wide high definition video board, the 3rd largest in the SEC.〔(South Carolina looking forward to upgrades | GoUpstate.com )〕 Also unveiled was a new 52 acre tailgating area, landscaped with over 650 trees and featuring a 100 foot wide pathway, called the "Garnet Way", that the team, band, and cheerleaders now walk through as they enter the stadium.〔(Farmers Market Will Become 52 Acre Green Space By Fall 2012 | wltx.com )〕 In 2015, the surface parking lot surrounding the stadium was replaced with a landscaped promenade named "Springs Brooks Plaza", named for the family of Robert H. Brooks. The project included a half-mile of ornamental fencing, planting of 340 trees, and the installation of 220 light poles and 38 benches. Also added were a restroom building and a 12,000-square-foot structure housing ticket sales and a merchandise store in addition to a command center for EMS and police. The project expanded the number of ticket windows from five to eight, enlarged the student entrance and relocated parking for television trucks to improve the flow of pedestrian traffic. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Williams-Brice Stadium」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|