All you need to know about USC's home opener
WHERE: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia (capacity of 80,250)
WHEN: Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
THE LINE: South Carolina by 16.5 points
TICKETS: Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com for $40.
TELEVISION: The game will be televised on ESPN2. Mike Patrick will handle play-by-play duties. Craig James is the color analyst. Jeannine Edwards is the sideline reporter. A replay will be shown Sunday at 8 p.m. on SportSouth. Andy Demitra will be the play-by-play man and Brad Muller the analyst on the replay.
RADIO: Locally, the game will be broadcast on 107.5 FM. Todd Ellis will handle play-by-play duties. Tommy Suggs is the color analyst. Terry Cousin is the sideline reporter. Additionally, a simulcast of the Gamecock Radio Network broadcast will be broadcast on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The game will be on Sirius channel 219 and XM channel 200.
WEATHER: The forecast for the Columbia area on Saturday calls for showers with a 30-percent chance of precipitation. The high temperature is supposed to be 73 degrees with a low of 59.
PROHIBITED ITEMS: The following items are now banned from the stadium: oversized bags and purses that exceed a 17-inch long, 12-inch wide, 10-inch tall frame with the exception of diaper bags; video cameras, tripods and detachable camera lenses more than 6 inches; personal seatbacks with arm rests; unauthorized masks of any kind. Backpacks will be allowed into the stadium. However, alcohol remains prohibited in the stands. Fans with alcohol are at risk of ejection and possible arrest.
NEW IN 2011: The athletic department announced several new features to game day for this season. The notable ones: There will be a new Under Armour merchandise location inside Gate 2. The Hall of Captains (West Ground Level) will reopen two hours prior to kickoff and remain open until kickoff. Gates 4, 14, 16, 22 and 25 are early gates and will open two hours prior to kickoff. All other gates will open with 90 minutes before the start of the game. A fan help text system has been established. To utilize it, text USC, a space and then an issue and location to 69050.
STUDENTS ENCOURAGED: USC students who enter the stadium an hour or more prior to kickoff with a student ticket will receive an extra loyalty point. Students with lower-level tickets (sections 23–34) will receive wristbands at the entrance and should enter through gates 23, 25 and 26. The 2,100 student with seats in the upper east stands must enter through Gate 18 and will not be permitted to enter the lower level.
SERIES: South Carolina leads 4-3
LAST MEETING: South Carolina 19-8 in 1988 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia
