Oliver C. Dawson Stadium - South Carolina State Bulldogs

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71

Oliver C. Dawson Stadium 300 College St Orangeburg, SC 29117

South Carolina State Bulldogs website Oliver C. Dawson Stadium website

Year Opened: 1955 Capacity: 22,000

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Fear the Bite

South Carolina State football traces its roots back to 1907, though the program did not take permanent shape until 1923. The Bulldogs began as independents before spending time in the Southeastern Athletic Conference during the late 1920s, then the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1935 to 1970. Since 1971 they’ve found a lasting home in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), where they’ve built one of the league’s proudest traditions.

The Bulldogs have played at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium since 1955, when it opened as State College Stadium. Over the decades, Dawson Stadium has been the stage of championship runs and National Football Hall of Fame talent. It was on the shoulders of Pro Football Hall of Famers Marion Motley, Deacon Jones, Donnie Shell, and Harry Carson that much of the legacy of South Carolina State football was built. Behind such talent, South Carolina State captured 19 MEAC titles and six HBCU national championships, cementing its place as one of the giants of football at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Food & Beverage   3

Concessions are about what one would expect from a stadium this size. The basics are covered with hot dogs, sausage dogs, and nachos, each with the option to pile on chili and cheese. Standard stadium snacks like chips, peanuts, popcorn, and candy fill out the menu, while drinks are limited to Pepsi products and Gatorade. Alcohol is not available, except in the VIP State Club, which makes the regular stands feel fairly routine.

What saves the food experience are the vendors along the south side of the stadium. A row of food trucks and tents add much-needed variety, serving everything from shrimp po’boys and fried fish sandwiches to cheesesteaks, barbecue, wings, and specialty fries. For those with a sweet tooth, there are also tents with shaved ice and other treats. These outside vendors bring energy and flavor, turning what might have been an ordinary concessions setup into something far more memorable.

Atmosphere   3

Other than three sections of seating between the 20-yard lines, seating is general admission throughout the stadium.

The stadium has one scoreboard, a videoboard atop the south end seating area that primarily is used to show a video feed of the game, but does have a ribbon showing game time and score along the bottom. Other than the far side chains, there is nowhere in the stadium that notes down and distance.  During breaks in the game, the videoboard is primarily used to run ads, as well as promos for campus events and for students.

School mascot Spike is a part of the spirit squad here, but doesn’t seem to be an overly involved part of the entertainment during gameday.

The Marching 101, South Carolina State University’s marching band, deserves a lot of credit for the fun college football atmosphere they help create, from their march into the stadium, their pregame performance, and on thru their halftime show.

Neighborhood   3

Orangeburg offers more than just football on fall Saturdays. Edisto Memorial Gardens are a local favorite, with trails that wind past thousands of plant varieties and make for a quiet escape not far from campus. The history of Orangeburg runs deep; Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum, located just outside of downtown, tells the story of the state’s civil rights struggle through the lens of the photographer who lived it. In addition, closer to campus nearly a dozen historical markers highlight Orangeburg’s role in that movement, giving visitors plenty of reasons to pause and reflect.

When it comes to food, few spots carry more iconic fare than Duke’s Bar-B-Que. Open since 1955, Duke’s has earned its reputation thanks to Southern staples like fried chicken and mac-and-cheese that regulars rave about.

Fans   3

Last season South Carolina State averaged just under 14,000 fans per game, a figure that placed them inside the top 20 nationally at the FCS level, and sixth among all HBCUs.

Fans are not necessarily a decisive factor in creating a true home-field advantage here, but they get loud in pivotal moments, and they stay supportive through the ups and downs of the game.

Access   2

Parking around Oliver C. Dawson Stadium can be a headache, even for fans who purchase passes online ahead of time. General access is directed through the Pinckney Street entrance, where visitors are sent to the campus bookstore to pay for parking or pick up a prepaid parking tag. The problem is a lack of clear communication about which lots are open to the public – ask three different attendants and you might get three different answers. The campus bookstore is also the location to buy tickets from if you not already done so.

Getting into the stadium itself is much smoother, however, with multiple entry points that keep lines moving quickly. Once inside, though, the concourses present their own challenges; on the south end the walkway does not fully wrap around to the visiting stands, which makes navigating the stadium less intuitive. Adding to the congestion are the concession lines, which often spill into the walkway, leaving fans squeezing by or detouring onto the gravel paths beneath the stands.

Return on Investment   2

Pre-purchased tickets start at $30 for general admission, though prices jump by $10 on game day. On-campus parking runs $30, while off-campus lots can be found for about half that, at $15. Concession prices inside the stadium are what you’d expect, and while the food trucks outside are a little more expensive, the quality and portion sizes usually make them worth it.

Overall, a game day at Dawson Stadium offers solid value compared to most FCS programs, though the game-day ticket increase and steep on-campus parking can feel a bit disappointing.

Extras   3

Banners hang from the exterior of Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, celebrating the accomplishments of Bulldog legends including Pro Football Hall of Famers Harry Carson, Marion Motley, Deacon Jones, and Donnie Shell.

The exterior of the press box tells the story of the Bulldogs’ success on the field, with each of the school’s MEAC championships recognized.

Just like the one outside the Bulldogs’ basketball arena, Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, a bulldog statue outside Dawson Stadium is a popular location for fans to grab a photo before heading inside.

Final Thoughts

Once solving the mystery of how to access the campus and where to park, South Carolina State offers a college football experience that highlights the traditions and great things about the HBCU experience.

Unless you are tailgating there probably is not much reason to arrive super early; as long as you are in your seat about 30 minutes prior to kickoff, you should have enough time to grab a bite, get to your seat, and take in the pregame band performance.

The stadium has some challenges both ascetically and navigationally, but putting these factors aside, the complete game atmosphere is one that gives visitors to Oliver C. Dawson a fun and entertaining college football experience.