What does a luxury suite at Williams-Brice Stadium look like? Take a peek inside

Renovations are coming to Williams-Brice Stadium.

Exactly when that happens is still quite vague, but it’s coming. It’s coming because every day that South Carolina holds off, the university essentially loses money because of a shortcoming in the stadium’s current setup.

Whatever plan is unveiled to modernize Williams-Brice will be centered on two words.

“Premium space,” USC athletic director Ray Tanner told The State. “We need more premium space.”

Chief among the premium spaces that South Carolina needs to double, triple — if not, quadruple — are the number of luxury suites inside Williams-Brice Stadium.

As of now, South Carolina has just 18 of them. For reference, Clemson has 95, Texas A&M has 140, Georgia has 86, Florida boasts 80 and even Kentucky has 67. They’re all major revenue drivers for the schools that have them.

At USC, the big boxes fit two dozen people with a stocked fridge, bathroom, three TVs and plenty more. The ones where the president of South Carolina sits and the ones where the former president of the United States sat.

The suites inside Williams-Brice Stadium are some of the most-sought after real estate in the Palmetto State. Here’s an inside look at them.

What do the suites look like?

For better or worse, all 18 suites that span the west side of Williams-Brice are identical. The suite holders access them by taking an elevator up to the second level, walking through a premium area — The Champions Club or something similar — and finding a glass door.

That door does not lead directly to their suite, but a staircase that puts them in between two suites. It’s not exactly the most convenient or most private way of accessing a luxury area, but the door leading into the suite has the suite holder’s name or business listed on it.

Once inside, you’ll see two rows of eight leather-bound seats in front of glass windows that can be opened on game day to allow those in the suites to better hear the crowd (and “Sandstorm”). Behind those cushioned seats, there’s a granite high-top bar with four tall chairs on each side — a great spot to eat while watching the game.

Each suite has three televisions, one hanging above the front window, one just behind the high top and another in the back of the suite, allowing fans who are grabbing a drink or food to also watch the game.

Behind the seating is a good amount of empty space before you get to a kitchen area. It includes a black granite island for the food and the back counter you’d find in any home in America. There’s a fridge, sink, dishwasher and far more wooden cabinet space than anyone would need.

Above the island are two fans. The suite also includes air conditioning, but when the window is open on a muggy South Carolina summer night, it may be hard to feel.

Yes, there is also a private bathroom next to the fridge. It’s not big, but it’s big enough.

It’s an overall elegant space.

How much does a suite cost?

Each suite starts at a cost of $84,960 per year (and escalates), but to even have the ability to buy a suite you also need to be at the Diamond Spur level in The Gamecock Club, attainable by giving more than $31,500.

So, at the very least, a suite is costing $116,460 annually.

The suite holders, too, sign a three-year lease and then have the right of first refusal to renew that lease.

What does the suite include?

OK, so you’ve paid your $31,000 to the Gamecock Club. You were highest on the priority points list. You signed the three-year lease agreeing to pay South Carolina $84,960 annually. You know you have that suite for South Carolina home football games. But what does that include?

You get:

▪ 24 tickets for each gameday

▪ 4 parking passes

▪ 6 burner passes (allows a friend with just a ticket to the game access to the suite. But there’s no reentry.)

▪ The choice of whatever you want your fridge stocked with (beer, wine, soda, etc).

▪ A suite attendant (makes sure the food is hot, trash is taken out, etc).

While the suite does not come with food, suite holders often talk with South Carolina’s caterer to choose what food they would like each week and pay for it.

Who owns the suites?

Perhaps surprisingly, very few of the 18 suites are business ventures.

While some have a business name on the door, a majority are for personal use. The norm would be to walk inside the suite on a Saturday and see the owner of the suite with all their friends and family.

Only three or four, according to Gamecock Club CEO Wayne Hiott, are actually being used to entertain clients, where the suite has different faces in it each week.

What’s the demand for a suite?

As of now, Hiott said, over 120 people have expressed interest in purchasing a suite. In other words: The demand outweighs the supply by more than six times. You see the problem — and the opportunity.

Granted, there is not an exact wait list. The Gamecock Club simply has a list of those who have expressed interest in purchasing a suite. If one came available, they would look at that list, determine who has the most Gamecock Club priority points and then give them a call before moving down the list.

That process, though, rarely takes place. A suite hasn’t come available since 2016.

Making the supply even thinner is the fact that five of South Carolina’s 18 suites at Williams-Brice can’t even be sold.

One belongs to the university president (Michael Amiridis // Suite 13). Another belongs to the athletic director (Ray Tanner // Suite 17). Another goes to the head football coach (Shane Beamer // Suite 1). One goes to the university’s marketing partner (Learfield // Suite 3).

And then, as part of its naming rights deal with the basketball arena, Colonial Life is contracted to a suite (Suite 14) but the company still pays the suite lease fee.

So, basically, South Carolina could only sell 13 suites but 14 “is the actual number we are generating revenue on,” Hiott said.

Why does South Carolina need more suites?

Aside from the fact that few schools in the Power 4 have fewer suites, the Gamecocks are losing out on easy money.

Think about this: South Carolina makes money on 14 suites a year. That’s at least $1.22 million in revenue annually.

USC will soon do a market analysis to figure out how many suites it actually needs when it renovates. While 120 people have expressed interest, that doesn’t mean 120 people will actually fork over the initial $87,000.

So how many suites will a new-look Williams-Brice Stadium have?

“I’d say the number is north of 50 and under 100,” Hiott said. “Somewhere in there for actual suites.”

Let’s be conservative and say South Carolina renovates Williams-Brice and gets to 65 suites. Four still won’t be sold, so they’d be at at 61. That’s $5.3 million annually.

In other words, South Carolina should easily make over $4 million in additional annual revenue simply by adding luxury suites. It’s construction that pays for itself very quickly.