Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Colonial Life Arena 801 Lincoln St Columbia, SC 29201
Year Opened: 2002
Capacity: 18,000
Uncommon
For years Connecticut and Tennessee dominated women’s college basketball, winning 19 of the first 34 titles. More recently, a new powerhouse has emerged in Columbia, South Carolina, at the University of South Carolina.
Women’s basketball at South Carolina dates back to 1922 when the team played as the Pullets, the female hen of their Gamecock mascot. The team competed statewide until 1936 when the sport was limited to intramural play, but intercollegiate competition returned in 1974 under the name “Carolina Chicks”, before adopting the Gamecocks nickname in 1977. Over the years the program transitioned from an independent to the Metro Conference and, since 1991, the Southeastern Conference.
The Gamecocks had moments of success, but lacked sustained dominance until the arrival of head coach Dawn Staley in 2008. After two sub-.500 seasons, she led the team to an 18-15 record and an NIT bid in just her third year. Since then, she has guided the Gamecocks to thirteen NCAA tournament appearances, six Final Fours, and three national championship titles, establishing South Carolina as a force in women’s college basketball.
Food & Beverage 5
The food options at Colonial Life Arena are as plentiful as a mall food court – fans can choose everything ranging from stadium favorites such as hot dogs, burgers, nachos, and chicken tenders, to a wide selection of more regional offerings including Mexican at Salsarita’s, Billy G’s barbecue, Thai Kingdom, and even a taste of the ocean from Mr. Seafood. Wings in nearly a half-dozen different flavors can also be found, as well as many carts situated around the concourse offering everything from ice cream and donuts to gourmet popcorn and smoothies.
Colonia Life Arena sells both craft and domestic beer, wine, and seltzers. Craft beers include selections from Terrapin, Columbia Craft Brewing Company, Wild Leap, and Peak Drift Brewing Company, while soft drink choices include Coca-Cola products and Power Ade sports drinks.
Atmosphere 5
The plaza, at the corner of Lincoln and Greene Streets, is lined with South Carolina palmettos and is fronted with a fountain. A 15-foot statue of Gamecock hero A’ja Wilson greets fans upon their arrival.
The entry point to Colonial Life Arena is framed by large support columns backed by a full bank of windows. As fans pass through the security check into the grand foyer, an intricate mosaic of the Gamecock’s logo is front and center on the floor of the entry. Fans ascend staircases on either side of the entrance, with two of the three center courts from the national championships won by the USC women’s program hung overhead. The staircases lead to the main concourse, as well as an area dedicated to the retired jerseys, individual awards, and championships won by the Gamecocks.
Pregame festivities are an impressive light and pyrotechnic show – while a hype video plays on the large center-mounted scoreboard, fans logged into the Gamecocks app’s “Gamecock Lights” can use their cellphone flashlights to become part of the pregame light show.
Throughout the game the college athletics experience is kept as the focal point of the experience. While there are occasional scoreboard games and DJ-led music pieces, the Carolina Band typically leads the entertainment during breaks in the action – this is a nice way to keep a touch of the traditional college basketball atmosphere alive, in a time when popular music is commonly the route many schools use to keep fans engaged until play resumes.
Neighborhood 4
For colleges and universities in downtown areas, it can be difficult to tell where campus ends and the city begins. Owned and operated by the University of South Carolina, Colonial Life Arena is located about a block off the main section of USC’s campus.
The surrounding neighborhood gives fans several options in terms of eateries and points of interest to visit as part of their Gamecocks basketball gameday experience. The student housing building at 650 Lincoln has several choices for a quick bite, including Jersey Mike’s, Urban Wok, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Also, student housing at 750 Lincoln includes a more upscale taste with offerings from Angell Bros. 1801 Grille. However, one of the more popular pregame spots is Thirsty Fellow Pizzeria and Pub, where it is not uncommon for fans to be lined up out the door.
For state capitol building enthusiasts, the grounds of the South Carolina capitol are less than a mile to the north of USC’s campus.
Fans 5
South Carolina women’s basketball has led the nation in attendance since 2015, when they pulled in 12,000 fans each night. Now, still leading the country in attendance, that number has swelled to more than 16,000 fans per game last season; this increase is a real testament to the growth of women’s college basketball, in-part spearheaded by South Carolina over this time.
The only knock on Gamecock fans would be that despite more than filling the student section, the students here seem to be rather reserved. While many of the top college basketball programs are known for their rambunctious student sections, the South Carolina students largely remain seated throughout the game. They do get excited and loud following big plays, but do seem to need that spark.
Access 3
The streets around Colonial Life Arena can seem like a bit of a maze to navigate. The intersections around the arena start to be blocked off about 2.5 hours before a game, creating what can be a two-block detour to get to a desired location.
There are plenty of parking garages and lots that are just a short walk from the arena. Street parking in the area is a bit further away, but is also an option.
The main entrance at the corner of Greene and Lincoln Streets is the most popular entry point, and the team’s large following leads to rather long lines before the doors to the arena even open. To help expedite entry, Colonial Life Arena has a no bag line. There is also an early entry line for Fast Break Pass members.
Stairs leading up to the outer concourse give fans plenty of space to navigate, with the exception of the far end of the arena where the Frank McGwire Club juts out, creating a bit of a bottleneck. Within the seating area, a walkway passes completely around the upper level of the main seating bowl.
Following the game the concourses do get pretty congested, so allowing some time for them to clear a bit before heading out may be helpful. With most parking concentrated on one side of the arena, the congestion can carry over to the streets leading away from the facility, especially for those heading back toward the interstate.
Return on Investment 3
With the level of success the Gamecocks have seen in their women’s basketball program comes a high demand for tickets. Tickets start at $25 for general admission seating, but can often be found cheaper on the secondary market.
Most garages in the area charge $20 for parking, but given the women’s basketball schedule, there are ways to avoid having to pay to park – most women’s basketball games follow a midweek evening and Sunday schedule, so parking at some of the meters on nearby streets could provide reduced parking rates, or be altogether free for Sunday games, if you are willing to walk a couple of blocks.
Concessions are a touch high at Colonial Life Arena, but the wide selection of options and the higher quality of food does seem to justify the higher prices.
Extras 5
Colonial Life Arena goes a long way in creating as comfortable a game experience as could be asked for, from the video feeds and game statistics on the underside of the center scoreboard to the custodial crews who are endlessly ensuring the facility is a top-class venue.
At the front plaza of Colonial Life Arena, a statue of A’ja Wilson greets fans upon their arrival. Wilson, the hometown hero, led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA national championship, while picking up National Player of the Year honors as well.
South Carolina does an excellent job recognizing the achievements of the women’s basketball program – the main entrance displays conference season championship and tournament trophies, Naismith Player and Coach of the Year Awards, and of course the Gamecocks’ three NCAA championship trophies. Homages to honored players can also be found in the ring of honor that wraps around the façade of the exterior concourse.
As with other Gamecock sports programs, following the game the team gathers at half court to sing the school’s alma mater with the fans; it is always nice to see the connection programs share with their fanbase and their school.
The importance of being role models for the next generation of players does not get lost on Head Coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks women’s basketball players – following the singing of the South Carolina alma mater, players and coaches come to sign autographs and take pictures with their admirers, most of whom are the youngest of Gamecock fans.
Final Thoughts
Women’s basketball at the University of South Carolina is a model for building an elite college program. Despite flashes of success in the past, the Gamecocks struggled to sustain it until Dawn Staley was able to sell her vision of the program to the fan base, and together, they built one of the nation’s premier women’s basketball programs. As fan support grew, Staley and her team delivered, winning three national championships.
There are not many college baseball programs in the nation that can rival the level of excellence and excitement that surrounds the South Carolina women’s baseball program.
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