USC has long prided itself on letting students scan into football games without paying at the gate. However, this convenient aspect of the home game experience now comes with a hefty price tag, one that many students didn't realize they were covering.
In June, the USC board of trustees approved the 2025-26 fiscal year budget, which introduced an annual $300 athletics auxiliary fee. This fee is in addition to the existing student ticket fee of $104 for full-time students and $172 for part-time students, increasing the annual cost of "free" entry to more than $400 a year.
In a statement, USC Internal Communications Manager Collyn Taylor said, "The auxiliary fee is designed to continue student access to athletics events/ticket lottery, address increased event/program operating costs, and enhance the student experience across multiple USC sporting venues."
Taylor also said enhancements will be made to "student centered in game activity and promotions, facility upgrades and additional support for health/safety staffing at athletics events."
At first taste, the fee is digestible. Students can continue to enjoy watching athletics without paying before each game, and collegiate teams can stay motivated by a roaring student section — all while funding much-needed renovations and acquiring talent for our teams.
But the change charges hundreds of dollars a year to every student, including those who rarely, or never, attend games. If the university wants full stands and fair bills, it needs clear communication, opt-out options and public reporting on how this money improves the student experience.
It’s no secret that college is expensive. Between paying for tuition, housing and meal plans, many students find themselves scraping for gas money and a coffee every week. Having an extra $150 in their pockets each semester could make all the difference, especially for students who are unable or don't want to attend school athletic events.
With over 650 clubs and organizations, many students may have chosen USC because they looked forward to spending their time pursuing interests outside of tailgates and frat parties. Although South Carolina's Division I and SEC status for athletics pulls in many applicants, it’s not a given that every student is all-in on game day.
The price tag on athletics becomes even more unfathomable when you consider how much funding other student activities get from the school. A prime example is club sports teams, a pastime that hundreds of South Carolina students partake in, but still have to fundraise on their own for competitions. This begs the question: Why are students forced to pay the price that school sports demand, when their activities are blatantly ignored?
Additionally, why should students who don't care to attend athletic events have to pay this fee too? Students who don't go to games owe the school the same amount as those who attend every game, effectively subsidizing everyone else’s entertainment without having a say.
Admittedly, this is a clever way to get students out of their dorms to support school sports. If they’ve already put a down payment on their tickets, they’ll want to maximize their profits and enter game ticket raffles at every given chance.
In comparison to other SEC schools, South Carolina still has arguably one of the smoothest processes for students to get football game tickets. At the University of Georgia, students pay $80 to enter a raffle for a “package” that determines which games they can scan into. For a seemingly more stressful experience, students have fewer options in choosing the games they can attend.
Although more ideal when stacked against UGA, South Carolina's current athletics policy still isn't anywhere near satisfactory. The ideal experience for students is simple: Be able to get tickets to any home sporting event at an affordable price. The ideal experience for the school is to make money but also keep the student section full and the atmosphere electric.
The best way for both parties to get what they want comes from transparency and flexibility in options. South Carolina should take the reins in clearing things up. This starts with notifying students and parents about the new fee and informing them of its purpose and implications.
The university should also provide a way for students to opt out of this new fee altogether. At the very least, the university could explore alternatives, such as separating the new fee from the original student ticketing model and providing a raffle system that allows students to enter on a game-by-game basis.
It is also necessary for the university to send out newsletters to all students, not just those who would hypothetically opt in, explaining what is being done with students’ money to improve their experiences at games. If South Carolina is going to silently slip new costs onto students' bills, it owes everyone a full accounting of where their money is going.
If South Carolina takes these steps, it could improve relations between students and the school's athletics. If students can see that the money they've invested in Gamecock athletics is helping to improve the gameday experience, a sense of pride will be instilled in them.
But, at the end of the day, the surest way to keep students cheering in the stands is to take the price tag off their pride and off their bills.
If you are interested in commenting on this article, please send a letter to the editor at sagcked@mailbox.sc.edu.