Nov. 12, 2003

There will be a birthday celebration at the South Carolina-Navy men’s basketball game, Friday, Nov. 21, as The Colonial Center, the Gamecocks’ 18,000-seat sports arena, will observe the anniversary of its one-year opening. As a show of gratitude to Gamecock fans, tickets for that game will be discounted to $5. In addition, fans are encouraged to bring a toy to the game with those donations being distributed to a pair of local charities – Prevent Child Abuse of South Carolina and the Carolina Children’s Home.

At halftime, a video highlighting this past year’s activities at The Colonial Center will be shown on the scoreboard’s video screen. Cocky, who is a finalist for National Mascot of the Year, will bring out a birthday cake to the arena floor. A commemorative poster will also be distributed to fans.

Last Nov. 20, 2002, the state-of-the-art facility opened its doors to Columbia and to the entire state of South Carolina, as the Gamecock women’s basketball team defeated Clemson before a record crowd of 17,717 – the largest crowd to ever attend a basketball game in the state of South Carolina.

The largest arena in the state is home to USC men’s and women’s basketball and has hosted a wide variety of concerts and family shows over the past year, including: Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel & Elton John, the Eagles, Cher, Sesame Street Live, Disney on Ice, Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus, WWE, USHRA Monster Jam and IFMA Freestyle Motorcross.

Since its opening, more than 600,000 patrons have enjoyed more than 120 events at The Colonial Center. The arena has been recognized as one of the premier sports and entertainment facilities in the South and has become the crown jewel facility in the state.
Prior to the basketball game that evening, Gamecock fans are encouraged to attend the Tiger Burn pep rally featuring a live band, which begins at 6 p.m. across the street from The Colonial Center.