The passions, pageantry, traditions and spirit generated by college football are hard to top in any American sport, whether amateur or professional. And for visitors to the Grand Strand in the fall, nearby Coastal Carolina University offers the opportunity to catch all of the sport’s excitement in person — without the hard-to-navigate traffic and crowds found on game day in Clemson, Columbia and other larger college towns throughout the Southeast.
Based in Conway, South Carolina, which is found about a half-hour inland from downtown Myrtle Beach, the CCU Chanticleers play their home games in the fall at Brooks Stadium. Located on the CCU campus, the venue was recently expanded and upgraded to reach a 21,000-seat capacity with premium seating and a west-side upper deck. Known as Benton Field, the stadium’s playing surface features a distinctive teal-colored artificial turf known as “the Surf Turf,” and the stadium itself has been ranked among the top in the U.S. in attendance based on capacity.
The Chanticleers play in the Sun Belt Conference, and the team made its move to college football’s highest level of competition — the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level — in 2017. Among CCU’s remaining 2019 home-game opponents are:
- Georgia State (Oct. 12 for Family Weekend/Hall of Fame Weekend)
- Troy (Nov. 2 for Homecoming)
- Louisiana (Nov. 7 for a Thursday-night Military/First Responders Appreciation game that will be broadcast nationwide on ESPNU)
- Texas State (Nov. 30 for the regular-season finale)
Game days in Conway involve many of the traditions college football fans have grown to love — including tailgate parties on the CCU campus under tents and live oak trees. To add some signature sounds to the experience, CCU’s marching band the Chanticleer Regiment marches across campus before kickoff, and many fans join the procession to Brooks Stadium for the main event. The Chanticleers (often affectionately referred to by the abbreviated “Chants” nickname) also boast one of the most original mascots in all of college sports — a rooster inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer’s famed “The Canterbury Tales.” A life-sized version named Chauncey the Chanticleer roams the sidelines on game day to get the hometown crowds sufficiently energized, and sounds of a crowing rooster often blast from the stadium’s PA system during games’ key moments.
To learn more about game day in Conway and to get your tickets to one of this season’s home games, visit the CCU Athletics website at goccusports.com.
After catching the big game at Brooks Stadium in Conway, head back to your comfortable oceanfront accommodations at Ocean Reef Resort to relax and soak in some of the property’s luxurious on-site amenities. Book your Grand Strand getaway at Ocean Reef Resort today — and start making your plans to enjoy all the best that the Grand Strand has to offer in the fall.
