COLUMBIA, S.C. — Changes are coming to signs throughout the state to let everyone know the USC Women’s Basketball team are not one, but two-time National Champions.
15 signs were placed along highways across the state after the team’s 2017 National Championship win. Now, it’s time for them to be replaced.
Senator Katrina Shealy of Lexington County said a joint resolution to erect new signs will be introduced this week.
“We’ll get, you know, new road signs that will say, you know, two-time national champions, 2017 and 2022,” Shealy said. “We don’t want to discount the 2017 team, but we’ll add the 2022 team, and we’ll make sure that people know that we are two-time champions.”
USC student Antonio Jones said he’s excited to see the huge accomplishment on full display.
“Any time I see that I think its super special, so it would be nice to see the 2022 one up there as well,” Jones said.
USC tells News 19 they are not sure how many new signs will be put up or when.
The 2017 championship road signs were put up about two months after the team won. The signs are put up by South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), but are not paid for by DOT.
The new signs are one of the many ways state lawmakers plan to honor Dawn Staley and the Women’s Basketball Team for bringing home their second national title.
State Representative and USC Alum Todd Rutherford said Staley and her team will be invited to the State House Wednesday for a proper congratulations.
“We need to make sure that we are recognizing the contributions of the Lady Gamecocks and Dawn Staley,” Rutherford said. “She puts Columbia, South Carolina, and the gamecocks on the map.”
A parade down Main Street is also in order, but details are still being worked out by officials.
Many Gamecock fans, like Deborah Johnson, will be looking forward to the parade all week. Johnson has rooted for the Gamecocks since 1964 and has yet to miss a parade.
“I’ve been to all of them so far, and there’s just no way to describe how much fun, and when they play ‘We are the Champions,’ that is really cool,” Johnson said.
State House visitors also got a rare sight of the USC flag flying over the State House Monday.