College Football’s Top 50 Fanbases

38. South Carolina

The good

Sandstorm blaring through Williams-Brice Stadium on a warm Saturday afternoon is a hallmark of college football’s most endearing traditions. The football team has its ups and downs, but the atmosphere is fantastic.

The bad

After running the state for decades, South Carolina has fallen behind Clemson as the No. 2 in their state. The one-sidedness of the rivalry hasn’t done the Gamecocks any favors.

The bottom line

The standard began by Lou Holtz and solidified by Steve Spurrier helped lead South Carolina out of independence and establish the school as a fixture in the SEC. Any doubts as to whether or not the Gamecocks belonged at the table were silenced by three consecutive top-10 finishes by Spurrier’s squads from 2011 to 2013.

The success has dwindled since then — they’ve passed the seven-win mark just once after Spurrier’s departure in 2015. The zeal, complete with the Spurs Up slogan and electronic music, have continued on.