...for Gamecock Football season. 🏈

Gamecock Football starts tomorrow. The first few games are away, but you should probably start thinking about your tailgate situation for the first home opener (Sept. 16 vs. Kentucky). Here are 7️⃣ of the best UofSC football tailgating spots to consider.

1️⃣ Gamecock Park

Photo by @thecarolinaband

Willy-B’s newest tailgating zone is the premium parking at Gamecock Park. It has shaded tent areas, cable TV hookups, electrical outlets, and permanent restrooms. 🙌 It’s also nearest to Garnet Way, where the marching band, cheerleaders + football team stroll into the stadium. | 💸 $40 on game day | 📍 1400 Greene St.

2️⃣ Cockaboose

Photo by @nicoledtnguyen

One of the most exclusive tailgating options is the Cockaboose Railroad. 🚂 Cockabooses are privately owned railway cars parked directly behind the stadium. There are 22 cockabooses and they come with air conditioning, running water, upper decks + a steep price tag. | 💸 The 270 square feet of prime “railgating” real estate have sold for $220K-$300K in recent years. | 📍 Cockaboose Rd.

3️⃣ Fairgrounds

Photo by @kcrowlshoebie

The State Fairgrounds is a classic. 🎡 There’s a ton of space and the close proximity to the stadium is hard to beat. The only real downside is that you can’t tailgate there during the State Fair – and maybe the porta potties. | 💸 $30 on game day | 📍 1200 Rosewood Dr.

4️⃣ Conquest, Swamp Cabbage or River Rat

Photo by @conquestbrewing

How lucky are we to have three breweries so close to the stadium? First, there’s Conquest, where you can park for $55 per game ($65 for the Clemson game). Bonus: the deal includes two 64-ounce growler fills per game. 🍻 Swamp Cabbage has a similar parking deal, but they are sold out for the season. River Rat doesn’t have tailgate parking, but it does have food + great beer, and it’s an excellent spot to wait out the post-game traffic. | 📍 Conquest: 947 S. Stadium Rd., Swamp Cabbage: 921 Brookwood Dr., River Rat: 1231 Shop Rd.

5️⃣ RV Lot

Photo by @danileighg

If you can’t stand to tailgate without all of your creature comforts, the RV lot is for you. Just roll up on your house-on-wheels and enjoy the mini-campground feel with your fellow RV-ers. | 💸 $200 for two nights | 📍 1200 Rosewood Dr.

6️⃣ Seawell’s

Photo by @_lauren2.0

If you love tailgating but hate the prep, consider Seawell’s. The catering biz is right across from the Fairgrounds and will provide you with parking and a full tailgate spread including fried chicken, wings, potato salad + sweet tea. | 💸 Parking starts at $250/season + tailgate spreads are $60 | 📍 1125 Rosewood Dr.

7️⃣ Morrison Memorial Tailgate Lot

Photo by @joshua_pieper

The legendary lot off Andrews Road is under new ownership this year. Owner Alex Waelde (the guy who runs @DrinkingTicket) says this year, there’ll be more bathrooms, wristbands to cut down on lines getting into the lot, and fresh Chick-fil-A for purchase. | 💸 $350 for the season | 📍 1010 Andrews Rd.

I don’t know anyone with a Cockaboose (need to work on that), so Conquest is looking like my personal best bet. Just remember that tailgating is only half the fun. There’s a football game and a team that needs our cheering on, too. Go Cocks!

–Erin Shaw
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