Game on, Cola

Your guide to sports teams in Columbia

The Gamecock Women’s Basketball team celebrate their national championship win with a parade down Main Street. | Photo by COLAtoday team

Whether you’re a sports fanatic — or just look good in Gamecock garnet — when it comes to sports, Columbia has no shortage of teams to support. Our city is home to some of the most loyal fans in the country — we’re not joking.

In this guide, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about sports teams in Columbia, so whether you’re already a devoted local sports fan or you’re new to the area and interested in learning more about Soda City’s teams, we hope it can serve as a valuable resource.

jacobskateslakai_75516665_417453218936575_2641367071489639644_n — Williams-Brice Stadium | Photo via @jacobskateslakai

🏈 University of South Carolina Gamecocks Football (NCAA) | Est. 1892

The Gamecocks football team is part of the NCAA’s Eastern Division in the SEC. Some of the team’s biggest rivals include Clemson and Georgia. Additionally, the team has competed in 25 bowl games and holds a bowl record of 10-15.

Where they play: Williams-Brice Stadium

Max. capacity ~77,500
Opened in October 1934
Has also hosted musical performances by Beyoncé, Metallica, George Strait, Paul McCartney, and Alan Jackson

Major accomplishments:

Led an undefeated season in 1933
Won a conference title in 1969
Former USC running back George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy in 1980
Won a division title in 2010
Celebrated three back-to-back 11-win seasons from 2011-2013

📅 Stay tuned for the team’s 2023 schedule.

Gamecock pregame atmosphere — The pregame atmosphere at Colonial Life Arena. | Photo via Gamecocks Athletics

🏀 University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s Basketball (NCAA) | Est. 1974

The women’s basketball team began playing as a club in 1967 without any uniforms or budget. Since then, lots has changed. Now, Carolina’s women’s basketball team plays in the SEC and is coached by Dawn Staley — named 2022’s best coach in the nation and winner of the Naismith Award. The team has 18 NCAA tournament appearances and has seen 10+ former players go on to play in the WNBA.

Where they play: Colonial Life Arena

Max. capacity of 18,000
Opened in November 2002
Has also hosted several concerts like Zac Brown Band, Kendrick Lamar, Imagine Dragons, and Weezer

Major accomplishments:

Conference tournament champs in 1986, 1988, 1989, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021
Conference regular season champs in 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022
NCAA tournament champs in 2017 and 2022

📅 See the team’s schedule.

Click the button below to read the details on several more local teams to root for around our city.

4 MORE TEAMS EXPLAINED

What is the most popular sport in the US (according to viewership and TV ratings)?

A) Baseball
B) Soccer
C) Basketball
D) Football

See the answer in the Wrap.

ANSWER HERE

Click here to have your event featured.

Wednesday, Feb. 15

Univ of South Carolina Gamecocks Softball vs. College of Charleston Softball | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 6 p.m. | Carolina Softball Stadium At Beckham Field, 1318 Heyward St., Columbia | $7 | Come cheer on the Gamecocks in their home opener.
Ask The Gardener! | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 4-6 p.m. | Gardener’s Outpost, 1211 Franklin St., Columbia | Free | Bring your plants, pictures, and questions.

Friday, Feb. 17

Food Truck Fridays | Friday, Feb. 17 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | BullStreet District, Columbia | Prices vary | Grub on lunch and support a local food truck.
Sensory Night | Friday, Feb. 17 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | EdVenture Children’s Museum, 211 Gervais St., Columbia | Free | Guests can look forward to lowered lighting and sounds, limited crowd size, programming from our educators, and resources from partner organizations.
Long Live: A Taylor Swift Dance Party | Friday, Feb. 17 | 9 p.m. | The Senate, 1022B Senate St., Columbia | $22 | Columbia Swifties: Taylor might not be stopping by SC on her Eras Tour, but the ultimate Taylor Swift Dance Party is.*

Saturday, Feb. 18

Annual Prosperity FD’s Fire Drill 5K/10K | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 7:30 a.m. | Prosperity Civic Center, 250 School Dr., Prosperity | $30+ | Registration can be done online by going to Strictlyrunning.com and winners will receive cash prizes.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Arts

Try This: Touch Tours at the Columbia Museum of Art

Tour attendees touch a bronze sculpture on the Touch Tour. | Photo by COLAtoday

Hey, Cola, David here. I recently joined the Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) on a Touch Tour, where visitors who are blind or have low vision have the opportunity to experience art in the museum through touch and other senses.

For this tour, the CMA arranged four different spaces with different types of art for small groups of attendees to experience. From a 3D printed replica of an ancient Chinese Camel to 19th-century furniture, each hands-on experience is accompanied by detailed descriptions of each item from museum staff.

Here’s more on the series + how you can Try This:

What we tried:

The CMA offers Touch Tours on Monday afternoons (when the museum is closed), so attendees can enjoy the experience without the typical hustle and bustle. Available to all ages, if there are no Touch Tours on the calendar, one can be scheduled upon request.*

LEARN MORE

Weather

76º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain

Open

CVETS — a new urgent pet care clinic — has opened in West Columbia at 2989 Sunset Blvd., near Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. This location is for pets with urgent, but not immediately life-threatening emergencies. 🏥 (The Post and Courier)

Coming Soon

Bub ‘n Mutha’s, Inc. — a barbecue company from Maine — is relocating to Columbia to 1700 Alta Vista Dr. Mark your calendars and clear your lunch plans for May 16, as City Council hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Stay for an award-winning barbecue tasting after the cutting. 🍖 (Soda City Biz)

Biz

Drake’s Duck-in is flapping its fried chicken wings and temporarily relocating to 1840 Hampton St. during its remodeling. Don’t worry, it’s just around the corner from its current location. Renovations will take ~six months + begin in early March. 🍗 (The State)

Number

$3.1 million. That’s the amount Columbia City Council approved to renovate a Columbia water station in north Columbia. Don’t fret, the funds are coming from a capital improvement program budget, so you won’t see an increase in water bills due to this project. 🚰 (WLTX)
55°. That’s the optimal temperature for storing wine. So unless you enjoy keeping your humble abode chilled year round, we recommend buying a wine fridge to foster favorable conditions for long-term aging. Our pick: this sleek wine fridge with touch-panel control and capacity for 24 bottles. Cheers. 🍷 *

Community

Get out your popcorn or join the conversation. We stumbled upon this Reddit thread — “Most overrated restaurant and most underrated restaurant in Columbia?” With over 136 comments, locals are dishing out their thoughts.

Shop

The Town of Lexington’s Market at Icehouse (opening in May) might look a little different. Limiting vendors, capping the number of similar vendors, and more changes are being implemented to make the market experience new each week. 👒 (The Post and Courier)
We love our furry friends, so it’s a good thing Love Your Pet Day is Monday, Feb. 20. Celebrate your beloved pet with this “Out of this World” bandana from Hannah Chloe Co. That’s something worth barking about. 🐾

Stat

80% of heart disease is preventable. Yes, you read that right. Prisma Health cardiologist Meghan Businaro, DO, dives into the stat — and shares the eight things you can do to prevent heart disease. 🫀*

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Membership perks good enough to shout

Are you ready to take advantage of our membership benefits? | Graphic by 6AM City

Today our parent company, 6AM City, is celebrating a birthday! To celebrate, we want you to be a part of our newsletter membership program.

The COLAtoday membership program will be rolling out member shoutouts in our newsletters, and members will have the opportunity to submit shoutouts such as celebrations, births, engagements, anniversaries, and more. 🎉

Other membership perks include special birthday shoutouts + discounts to our local shop, Six and Main.

Now is the time to start taking advantage of these awesome benefits.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Sam.

Editor’s pick: The answer to the sports quiz is D, football. I don’t know about you guys, but with baseball and spring right around the corner, I’m getting excited about the thought of warmer weather + sipping on a large lemonade at Founders Park.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Celebrate Richland County Library’s 30th anniversary, here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Samantha Robertson, David Stringer, Erin McPherson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith| Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Lindsey Rhinesmith| Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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