The South Carolina Gamecocks lost to the Florida Gators 41-39 in their fourth Southeastern Conference matchup of the season at Williams-Brice Stadium on Oct. 14, 2023. This loss puts the Gamecocks at 2-4 for the season.
Spurs and Struts is an annual dance competition hosted by USC Homecoming where student organizations pair up and perform for the chance to win. Hundreds of students and Greek life members crowded into the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Oct. 11, 2023, to witness students shimmy and shake across the stage to highly choreographed dances to songs such as "Sandstorm" by Darude and "Fake ID" by Big & Rich. Spurs and Struts is a beloved event that is viewed as a staple of Homecoming week events.Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified who participates in Spurs and Struts.
The Jonas Brothers performed The Tour at Colonial Life Arena on Oct. 10, 2023. Brothers Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas and Joe Jonas play over sixty of their songs from five of their albums during each night of their 12th tour together. The trio is set to perform over 70 concerts in the U.S., Europe and Australia through spring 2024.
The South Carolina Gamecocks softball team took on USC Beaufort and Wofford in back-to-back exhibition games on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. South Carolina defeated USC Beaufort 3-0 and Wofford 14-0.
Students gathered on Greene Street to see COIN headline Cockstock on Oct. 6, 2023. The Third Floor opened the Carolina Productions event with a 30-minute set followed by an hour-long performance from COIN. The free concert had students jumping throughout the band's performance, and the night ended with COIN lead singer Chase Lawrence crowd-surfing. First-year student Ainsley Reed said the show provided a fun activity for a variety of students. "It's about the atmosphere," Reed said. "If you are a big fan, great. But I have never listened to a single one of their songs before today, and I am still super stoked to be here."
The Gamecock women's soccer team claimed a 1-0 victory over the LSU Tigers at Stone Stadium on Oct. 5, 2023. The match was the team's "Pink Out" game for Breast Cancer Awareness and two survivors were honored, one prior to the start of the match and one during halftime. The team is now 9-1-3 overall for the season.
The USC men's soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins on Oct. 3, 2023. The Gamecocks recognized the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a Pink Out game. The team wore pink sweatbands at the match and honored a breast cancer survivor at halftime. The team is now 3-5-2 on the season.
On Oct. 1, 2023, the annual JerryFest celebration took place in Five Points. Patrons flocked from Columbia and beyond to drink, listen to live music and socialize. The festival is meant to commemorate the life and music of Jerry Garcia, the lead guitarist for Grateful Dead. This year marks 9 years since the first JerryFest. Since then, JerryFest has remained a popular event for Columbia natives and other visitors alike.
South Carolina defeated Mississippi State 37-30 Saturday in a back and forth game at Williams-Brice Stadium. This victory puts the Gamecocks at 2-2 for the season.
The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center held the South Carolina Horror Convention from Sept. 16-17, 2023. This event marks the first Horror Convention in South Carolina. The two-day event featured local and regional vendors, special guests and a short haunted house from the Dark Castle Haunted Attractions company. According to pre-sale ticket sales, more than 2,500 horror fans attended the event. Many attendees cosplayed as their favorite horror villains, with some competing in the cosplay contest on the last day of the convention. The South Carolina Horror Convention is set to return in 2024.
The University of South Carolina celebrated its 60th anniversary of desegregation with the groundbreaking for a new monument on Sept. 11, 2023. The monument will stand outside of McKissick Museum and honor Henrie Monteith Treadwell, Robert G. Anderson and James L. Solomon Jr., the first three Black students to enroll at USC. After the commemoration at McKissick Museum, the College of Arts and Sciences revealed a plaque in memory of James L. Solomon Jr. in LeConte College.
The South Carolina Gamecocks took down the Furman Paladins 47-21 in its first home game of the season on Sept. 9, 2023. The Gamecocks worked in several freshman and evened up its record to 1-1 in 2023.
The University of North Carolina and the University of South Carolina met at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the 2023 season's opening game. The Tar Heels defeated the Gamecocks 31-17 and now lead the series between the two teams 36-20-4. Redshirt senior quarterback Spencer Rattler was 30-39 with 353 yards in the season opener.
ESPN's College GameDay broadcast came to Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 2, 2023. Fans of both the South Carolina Gamecocks and the North Carolina Tar Heels filled Romare Bearden Park in anticipation of the game between the two schools, with some arriving as early as 3 a.m ahead of the 9 a.m. show and 7:30 p.m. game.
Carolina Productions held its “Country at Koger” event at the Koger Center on Aug. 27, 2023. The free event for students featured performances from country artists Jordana Bryant, Vincent Mason and Will Cullen. Heavy rain and thunderstorms caused the event to move indoors where each artist performed their hit songs and covers of popular country artists including Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and others. Will Cullen performed mashups of popular songs and various genres during his headlining act.
Sisters of the University of South Carolina sororities celebrate Bid Day on Aug. 27, 2023. Bid Day marks the end of a four-stage recruitment process that potential new members complete to join a sorority on campus. More than 2,100 potential new members signed up for recruitment this year, marking the highest number in the history of USC sorority life. Potential new members receive an invitation to a sorority during Bid Day, and all of the sororities celebrate with their new pledge classes.
The South Carolina men's soccer team lost its first home game of the season to Gardner-Webb by a 2-0 score and is now 0-1-1 on the season. The Gamecocks totaled three shots on goal to the Bulldogs' six and surrendered one goal in each half. South Carolina will hit the pitch again on Sept. 1 against the Clemson Tigers.
Students kicked off the fall semester Wednesday night with USC's annual First Night Carolina Event. Students first gathered on the Horseshoe to kickstart the event, hearing speeches from head football coach Shane Beamer and university President Michael Amiridis. Throughout the night, students enjoyed live music from rock band L.A. Maybe and DJ iAM, free food and fireworks.
On Aug. 18, 2023, the University of South Carolina officially celebrated the opening of Campus Village. Campus Village is composed of four new dorms on the south side of campus that house over 1,800 students.
Hidden City Music Festival returned to Columbia for its second year of Electronic Dance Music at the Columbia Historic Speedway on April 22, 2023. Headliners included Steve Aoki, NGHTMRE and Champagne Drip.