COLUMBIA, S.C. — Thousands of fans flocked to Columbia on Saturday, some to cheer on their football team in the Palmetto Bowl, others to get a chance to see former President Donald Trump.
It’s been a different feel for gameday, according to USC student Conor McGushin. He was one of the thousands of fans who traveled to Williams-Brice stadium Saturday to cheer on the gamecocks.
“So many things are making it feel different. It’s Clemson–Carolina, there’s a certain big presidential candidate rolling in town, it’s crazy, and everybody is excited for this game, and I am too,” he said.
Throughout the afternoon, fans from both sides of the rivalry packed the tailgating lots for the storied rivalry. Corey Epps and his family had the tailgate set up, pulling for a Gamecock victory. He says, “It’s deeply rooted, deeply rooted in South Carolina. If you’re from South Carolina, this is all you know.”
According to Tana Lee, traffic around town made things a bit harder for fans to get to the game this year.
“It’s very packed; we rerouted probably three or four times coming here, just trying to get around the traffic to get to our parking spot,” she said.
Part of the draw was news of former president Donald Trump making an appearance to watch the game.
Zachary Hurst traveled from Gaffney and said having a former president in town was another reason he couldn’t miss the game.
“I was already planning to go to the game, but meeting any presidential candidate or former president regardless of political sides is a big honor, and I would absolutely love the opportunity to meet him or any former president,” Hurst said.
With both teams vying for a quality bowl game this postseason, Brooks Jackson and his family came from Greenwood to support the Tigers.
“Last time I went down here, all this stuff around here, the fairgrounds is way bigger; they’ve done so much renovating here. Looks pretty cool, but I would never want to be a Gamecock fan,” he said.
Lee said it’s always a special weekend when Clemson comes to town, and this year was no exception.
“I think for the fans, this is bigger than a bowl. I mean, this is Carolina-Clemson, and everyone has picked a side. You are either Carolina or you’re Clemson, so today’s the day,” she said.