Shane Beamer reveals his favorite tradition at South Carolina

After one season with South Carolina football, head coach Shane Beamer already has a few favorite game day traditions. As with most SEC programs, there’s a ritual to go along with the football games. Auburn flies its War Eagle before every game. Texas A&M’s drumline leads the Aggies out of the tunnel. Tennessee runs through the “T.” Waka Flocka Flame’s “Grove Street Party” kicks off Kentucky games. And Garth Brooks’ voice rings out in “Callin’ Baton Rouge” before LSU takes the field.

Columbia, South Carolina may be home to the most iconic pregame ritual among SEC schools, though. The Gamecocks’ entrance is preluded by the operatic score of 2001: A Space Odyssey, then transitions into the electro-charged “Sandstorm” by Darude by kickoff, with 80,000 SC fans ringing their white towels.

A tradition Shane Beamer has already fallen in love with. When asked during a Twitter Spaces interview with Reddit CFB what his favorite South Carolina traditions are, he pointed directly to the auditory euphoria of that one-two punch to open games.

“I’d be hard for me not to say 2001 and coming out to 2001 and then Sandstorm in the stadium. I was an assistant coach here at South Carolina the very first time that we ever played Sandstorm. So that was pretty cool to be a part of the very first time and and it’s just it seems like every athletic program in America now plays sandstorm at their sporting events. But I can say that we did it first and it is a tradition that’s unique to us. And then 2001 has always been an awesome tradition here at South Carolina and a great entrance for our players to take the field to.”

He then remembered the first time his dad, Frank, visited the Gamecocks as head of the Virginia Tech program.

“My my dad was the was the head coach at Murray State out in Kentucky before he became the head coach at Virginia Tech. His very first away game when he became head coach at Virginia Tech in 1987 was down here in Columbia. So I can remember being on the sideline, I was 10 years old I believe. And you’re in front of a huge crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium and they play 2001…and here comes Sterling Sharpe and Todd Ellis and all these guys. I can just remember thinking…Oh my God. We’re not at Murray State anymore.

“That has not changed either. Every time we get to run out of the tunnel to 2001 in front of Williams-Brice I still get chills. There’s nothing like it. Nothing like a Saturday in Columbia. We’ve got some great traditions here. Those are certainly two of my favorites.”

It’s hard to imagine how opposing teams maintain any sort of focus when 2001 and “Sandstorm” welcome the home team, along with 80,000 screeching Gamecock die hards.