COLUMBIA — The finances of college football continue to change.
As will the look of Williams-Brice Stadium.
The playing surface of South Carolina’s football field will be adorned with logos this season and the next four seasons, The Post and Courier has learned. Blanchard Machinery, a fourth-generation Columbia-headquartered service for premium equipment and the state’s authorized Caterpillar dealer, will have a logo on each 25-yard line for the next five years, beginning Sept. 6 when the Gamecocks open their 2025 home schedule.
The Blanchard logo
The familiar yellow-and-black signs, one of Blanchard’s standard logo and one for their rental services, will be the first to be featured on any USC playing surface. The five-year partnership will also help fund renovations to the stadium, including the already announced enhancements to the East and West stands and new premium seating options, which are set to be completed before the 2027 season.
The 25-yard-lines at Williams-Brice have had a standard look for the past several seasons, a Southeastern Conference logo (in the school’s colors of garnet and black) on one side and a palmetto tree and crescent moon tinged in garnet, representing the flag of the state of South Carolina, on the other.
A source close to the situation said, “The palmetto trees and SEC logo will still be part of the field design.” USC athletic director Jeremiah Donati confirmed that the palmettos aren’t going anywhere, but fans will have to wait until Sept. 6 to see where they will be.
Financial terms were not disclosed, and according to one university source, will not be. The only description offered about the money was “significant,” and the five-year plan will feature a “look-in” near the end of the deal if the two parties want to extend it for another five years.
Blanchard will also participate in the Gamecocks’ student-athlete development program, offering internships, post-graduate jobs and career-development workshops. Company president/CEO Boyd Blanchard and executive vice president/CCO Rozier Blanchard are each USC alums.
One Blanchard logo on the field.
“This is the largest single financial investment into our athletic department in history. We really wanted to partner with someone who fit us,” Donati said. “It’s hard to imagine better people to bet on and partner with than Boyd and Rozier.”
The Blanchards’ USC ties run very deep. Wives, siblings and children were all at the event, all wearing garnet and black.
Rozier played catcher in Little League. One of his pitchers was Gamecock Club CEO Wayne Hiott.
“It’s more than just the naming rights on the field. It’s being that kick-starter for that $350 million investment to revolutionize what Williams-Brice Stadium is,” Rozier said. “We’re excited to really get our name out there for the first time.”
The logos will be on the field, but the field is not being named for Blanchard. The naming rights for the stadium are also not for sale, Donati said, although he did say that some of USC’s other venues are “next up” in terms of their naming contracts.
Blanchard will also receive several in-game promotions and signage plus radio advertisements throughout all USC sports. The deal does not include jersey patches, which have become the norm in Major League Baseball and the NBA.
While some fans will be sure to mourn the continued commercialization of college football, the step is necessary. USC, like many other schools, agreed to pay $20.5 million in revenue share directly to its athletes this year, and that number will only rise in successive years.
With $350 million earmarked for future improvements to Williams-Brice, any monetization of what USC can offer will be listened to. Logos on the field can only help.
“We realized we wanted to be the bold company to help plant the flag and really get this moment rolling,” Boyd said.
The Blanchard rental logo
