Jeremiah Donati on Williams-Brice upgrades: 'Minimal loss of seats' possible
Creating additional revenue remains one of the primary focuses of South Carolina’s upcoming revamp of Williams-Brice Stadium but for fans worried that more premium suites and a reduction in capacity could dampen one college football’s best atmospheres — new AD Jeremiah Donati hears you.
Willy B’s number of revenue-generating suites is woefully inadequate compared to South Carolina’s SEC peers, which means the Gamecocks are leaving dollars on the table — monies that will be more important than ever with revenue share likely on the way and a growing cost of doing business in college athletics and beyond.
For that reason, new premium suites are a necessity.
But can South Carolina make the necessary upgrades to its home without changing what makes Williams-Brice Stadium, well, Williams-Brice Stadium?
Donati, speaking this week on Episode 1 of the Gamecock Talk with Jeremiah Donati podcast, said that maintaining those traditions was high on the list of priorities from fans he’s heard from.
“To really unlock the potential of the stadium, we need someone thinking about … not just (revenue generation)—that’s an easy one—but the key is preserving the history and traditions that are so unique to Williams-Brice Stadium and also developing more,” Donati said. “The best stadium projects aren’t a total redo; they capture those things and build from it.”
A ‘minimal loss of seats’?
While there’s not a direct correlation between attendance and atmosphere, Gamecock fans have rightfully questioned whether a continued drop in capacity will ultimately diminish a stadium atmosphere that Justin King and Co. have worked so hard to fine-tune over the last decade.
The last round of upgrades reduced capacity from 80,250 to 77,579 and former athletics director Ray Tanner said last year that the upcoming project would reduce seating but wouldn’t bring capacity below 70,000.
Donati, however, teased that a deep reduction might actually be avoidable, though he was quick to point out throughout the discussion that the project is in its infancy.
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“I think there’s a way to do this with minimal loss of seats,” Donati said. “We’re also looking at a couple of other options (because) I know it’s really important to our fans that we don’t lose capacity—and it is to me as well.
“I don’t know that it’s completely possible to not lost some seats or where do you make those up? So we’re working through all that.”
The gold standard
Donati has only officially been on the job for just over a month but it’s already become increasingly clear that the focus of his vision for the early portion of his tenure revolves around the Williams-Brice Stadium Project.
“On no uncertain terms, we have got to get this right,” he said.
South Carolina has called on nationally known design firm Populous to help turn that vision into a reality.
“They’ve done some really cool projects around the country that I’ve seen firsthand,” Donati said. “In my opinion, they are the gold standard. So, if we’re going to do this project, let’s do it well and let’s get the best. That’s going to be a consistent theme with other partners we potentially bring in. We want the best—our fans deserve it, our players deserve it.”
USC hopes to begin construction immediately following the end of the 2025 football season.
