Coastal Carolina is the nation’s worst-kept secret. From its magic and very public 2020 football season success to playing on vibrant turf-colored turf, Coastal Carolina football puts on a phenomenal game day. Before you pack your bags for Conway, South Carolina, check out this game day guide, complete with a timeline of pregame events, traditions, and more.
C-I-N-O: Coastal Is Number One!
Ball (Near) The Beach!
Despite not truly sitting in Myrtle Beach or on the coast, there’s ample things to do near Conway, South Carolina. Many opt for the sandy beaches and nationally famous mini golf courses. I opted for one of the Lower 48’s least-visited National Parks near Columbia. For nature lovers, Congaree National Park is one I can’t recommend enough. Entrance is free and the park sits 30 minutes from the University of South Carolina and just under two and a half hours from Coastal Carolina.
The drive from Columbia to Conway takes you through pure, unadulterated Americana – the drive takes you through another time in the American south, for good and ill. I haven’t driven through country quite like it before.
I perpetually get to campus far too early for game days, typically three or four hours in advance. Seeing campus is a big emphasis of mine, plus any sort of pregame events put on by the university. In this case, getting to Coastal Carolina’s campus early was warranted. SportsCenter Live put on a one-hour show live from Conway, straying from their usual Bristol studio.
Fans showed up in droves to meet Matt Barrie and Dan Mullen. The latter was extremely personable and stayed to meet and take photos with any willing fan and even signed the side of a shaven head. The show pulled creativity from Chanticleer fans for fans taking jabs at arch rival Appalachian State on signs.
GG Parking Lot used to be free until 2024, when the school started charging $25 a car. It’s convenient to walking through campus and is a short jaunt away from Brooks Stadium. Do note: Tongy’s, a popular pregame joint I spent some time in, is a short walk from the lot and campus, but there’s no sidewalk along and across a 50-mph state highway. I wouldn’t recommend the walk, if you can help it.
Coastal Carolina Game Day Traditions
Brooks Stadium and the adjoining Spring Brooks Stadium (aptly named venue for the baseball team that plays in the spring) is the TD Sports Complex. It’s a gorgeous, well-maintained section of campus fit for all CCU athletics. It stands next to Baylor in terms of best athletic sections of college campuses, for those that have them. Spring Brooks Stadium is worth a peak and fans are welcome to pop in. Coastal’s baseball team won the College World Series in 2016 and is a regular national contender.
There, you’ll find the team walk about two and a half hours before kickoff. The cheer squad wishes everyone a Happy Game Day like it’s a holiday. And for the students and fans of Coastal, game day is a holiday. Droves of fans packed tailgating lots despite an 8:00 p.m. kick on a rainy Thursday afternoon. TD Sports Complex is worth the majority of your time pregame, especially if you find yourself there on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Coastal Carolina really leans into the “Coastal” aspect. Famous for its surf turf, Brooks Stadium goes a step further – teal for the ocean and “tan” (officially bronze) for the beach. The student section is dubbed the Conwave and a pregame video dedicates plenty of attention to one of the best student sections in the country. Of the 21,500 seats in Brooks Stadium, nearly a third are dedicated to students and that section overflows most game days. The Conwave earns its reputation.
Make sure to be in your seat for the team entrance. A dozen motorcycles driven by local veterans line the field rather than band members. Chauncy, the team Chanticleer mascot, leads Coastal out on a motorbike of his own as the rest rev their engines. Chauncy previously emerged to engage with Darth Vader in a lightsaber duel unannounced. When I posted the event on Twitter, the overwhelming response was that’s just Coastal’s M.O. – quirkiness and individuality.
At some point, fans catch a glimpse of Coastal’s live rooster mascot, Maddox. For some reason beyond my comprehension, he’s introduced with Zach Brown Band’s Chicken Fried. Unsettling for the poor chicken. If you’re in town for a Coastal victory–not a farfetched proposal, as CCU is 83-42 at home the last 10 years–be sure to head out the northeast gate to ring the Beaty Memorial Victory bell, pictured above.
Coastal Carolina 38, Appalachian State 24
If you tuned into this football game for the first and last quarter, you saw quite a football game. Unfortunately, the middle two quarters dragged. The pace was excellent to begin, Coastal forced a couple turnovers and put two quick scores on the board, but the inevitable runtime of televised college football games took over. Teams traded scores in the final two-plus minutes to get to 62 combined points (48 otherwise!).
From the three-minute mark of the first quarter to the five minute mark of the third quarter, Coastal failed to piece much together. The Chants nearly let App State back into the game, a notion quickly dashed in the third quarter. The lack of action sent a lot of fans, namely students, to the gates prematurely.
Tempers flared to finish the game as rivalries tend to do. But all that was set aside as Coastal recognized a student group that organized relief efforts sent to Boone in reprieve of Hurricane Helene that caused devastating flooding in the area. App State fans rose to their feet and gave the group a raucous standing ovation for several minutes, an emotional moment that jerked plenty of tears across the stands.
When the final second ticked off the clock, hundreds of Chanticleer fans rushed the field and partied on the logo. Fireworks burst above Brooks Stadium for the first time ever in celebration.
Thank Yous Are In Order
A special and sincere thank you to Hayden Bannick, a Coastal Carolina grad and Myrtle Beach resident, who graciously showed me around Conway. I’ve met Hayden out on the road a couple times prior, but this one was special, as he’s a diehard for the Chanticleers.
Also thank you to Patrick Osborne and the rest of the Coastal Carolina Athletic Department. They were exceptional hosts who gave me unprecedented access to the game and made we feel like a VIP despite sharing the sideline with NFL All-Pro Josh Norman and Coastal legend Grayson McCall.
Coastal Carolina Game Day Grades
Stadium: B+. The surf turf rocks, hard stop. Brooks Stadium is a bit confusing to navigate on the away side for a first-timer and that’s about all the negatives that exist. There’s no bad seats in the house and it sits on a gorgeous section of the athletic campus.
Tradition: C. Although CCU is new to the FBS, its football program dates back to 2003. I believe there’s a difference between tradition and marketing. Coastal markets itself exceptionally well and understood that it needed immediate traction as a newer program. There’s a lot going on and themes followed, but tradition needs history.
Atmosphere: B+. Coastal understands what this game is. Mountains versus beach. It’s a bonafide rivalry and the in-game environment felt like it. The student section chanted its favorite curses for the team in black and gold and fans got up for big plays. To the crowd’s detriment, this was a pretty boring game for the middle two quarters, so the noise lulled at times.
Tailgating: B. Show me a sunny Saturday afternoon and I believe tailgating here is much more widespread. But I took this in the context of the conditions (weeknight, rainy, and oppressively humid). Strong showing either way!
Fans: B. Chanticleer fans love their football team, no doubt about it. They showed up pretty strong on a rainy Thursday night to see CCU beat its rival. The fanbase is knocked a couple points for the droves of fans that decided to hit the showers (bars) before halftime. Many stuck around, but many did not.
Extracurriculars: A. Contrary to the name, “Coastal” Carolina, CCU actually sits about 25 minutes away from the coast itself. Myrtle Beach is one of the top American tourist destinations just a short skip away. Downtown Conway holds its own as a college town. It’s easy to have things to do when the weather is beautiful nearly year-round.