General . September 10, 2025

From the Desk of Jeremiah Donati, No. 9

DEAR GAMECOCKS:

It was incredible to be in Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night! While I know we all had to wait almost two and a half hours for kickoff, I want to thank all of our fans who stuck around with us to cheer the team on to victory. Our fan base is truly the best in the nation!

I also want to give a special thanks to our entire staff that played a role in getting the stadium ready for game day and navigating the delays caused by weather. This department has some of the most hard working people in the country at their jobs and I’m thankful to go to work with them every day.

We will be back at it again on Saturday in front of another sold out crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium. I look forward to welcoming families of our current USC students to town for family weekend.

There’s a lot of excitement in Gamecock Country right now and I want to update you on some of the great things that have happened over the past month.

WILLIAMS-BRICE REIMAGINED

In late August, we received formal approval to begin a multi-year construction project that will reimagine Williams-Brice Stadium. This project is being designed for all Gamecock fans and will focus on the legacy and tradition, while creating a place of belonging and pride for the state. Over the multi-year project, we will be reimagining the overall fan experience, the premium offerings inside the stadium and the student-athlete experience.

I encourage you to check out our Williams-Brice Reimagined website to learn more about the project!

More information

TOP-20 GAMECOCKS

Shelley Smith’s women’s soccer team is currently ranked no. 17 in the country and is 6-1-1 on the season. They hit the road on Thursday to open conference play against Alabama at 8 p.m. Our team currently leads the nation in average attendance with almost 1,000 more fans in attendance than the next highest team!

SUPPORT THE SCORE ACT

As we continue to navigate the new era of college athletics, there is growing need for Congress to enact standardized NIL rules rather than relying on a patchwork of state laws. The SCORE Act will create a national standard that would ensure a fair and consistent recruitment and competitive environment for all schools and student-athletes across every sport. The SCORE Act would also provide scholarship protections for student-athletes, extend medical coverage, mental health resources, academic support and degree competition opportunities.

We need Congress to act to help create these uniform national standards necessary to protect the future of college sports. I encourage you to contact your representative and ask them to vote YES on this bill. For more information on how you can help spread the message, click the button below.

Pass the Score Act

CONGRATS SARAH NOBLE

Congratulations to first year head volleyball coach Sarah Noble on her first win in the Garnet & Black. The team defeated ETSU in three straight sets to open the season. They take on NC State in Raleigh tonight and are back in action at the Carolina Volleyball Center on Friday to take on UNC at 7 p.m.

GAMECOCKS TAKE OVER ATLANTA

I want to thank all of our fans who joined us in Atlanta for the Aflac Kickoff win over Virginia Tech. There was a tremendous showing with over 20,000 Gamecock fans in attendance cheering our team on to victory. Not only did we have big numbers in the stands, over 5.4 million viewers watched the game on ESPN, which is the 8th highest number of viewers of a regular season Gamecock football game since 2009.

JUNIOR GAMECOCK CLUB FALL FESTIVAL

We’re excited to invite Junior Gamecock Club members to our Fall Festival on Sunday, October 19 at Founders Park. The event is free for junior members and will include carnival-style games, face painting, arts and crafts and more. There’s still time to sign your kids up for the Junior Gamecock Club! Benefits include an official t-shirt and membership packet, invitations to exclusive events, free admission to soccer and volleyball matches and additional free tickets for other sports. Membership is only $40.

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CONGRATS VICARI SWAIN

Congratulations to punt returner Vicari Swain who was named the SEC co-Special Teams Player of the Week for the second-straight week. In Saturday’s game vs. SC State, Vicari became the first Gamecock in history to return two punts (or kicks of any kind) for touchdowns in a game. Combined with the punt return for a TD in the opener against Virginia Tech, Vicari has now tied the single-season school record for punt returns for touchdowns in a season.

LEAGUE HONORS

In addition to Vicari Swain being named the SEC co-Special Teams Player of the Week, I want to congratulate our other student-athletes who have received league honors so far this season:

Gracie Falla – Women’s Soccer: SEC Defensive Player of the Week (announced Aug. 25)
Fred Johnson – Football: co-Defensive Player of the Week (announced Sept. 1)
Taylor Bloom – Women’s Soccer: SEC Defensive Player of the Week (announced Sept. 1)
Teresa Cherotich – Cross Country: SEC Women’s co-Runner of the Week (announced Sept. 2)
Tyler Trimnal – Men’s Soccer: Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week (announced Sept. 9)
Yvan Malarte – Men’s Soccer: Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week (announced Sept. 9)

SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO THE COCKPIT

I want to give a special thanks to our students here at South Carolina. In addition to setting a new record for the number of tickets requested for a football game (21,000), they have been showing up in record numbers to all of our fall sports to cheer on the Gamecocks. The Cockpit is the heartbeat of all of our venues and help us create the best home advantage in all of college sports.

GAMECOCK CLUB 50/50 RAFFLE

The Gamecock Club 50/50 Raffle is back! Our first raffle is live now and closes on or before September 28. You could have the chance to win up to $80,000. Proceeds from the raffle will go to furthering the mission of the Gamecock Club in supporting our student-athletes.

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I look forward to seeing a bunch of you back at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday and throughout the next few months at our sports currently in season. If you haven’t had a chance to catch a game this season, I hope you can find time to come cheer the Gamecocks on in person!

FOREVER TO THEE!