The story behind new Williams-Brice banner design, and Shane Beamer’s influence on it

Shane Beamer played a big part in the decision to change the banner outside Williams-Brice Stadium.

Beamer, who was hired in December, is focusing his first year at the Gamecocks’ helm on building the team. Something about the previous image of a single player wearing No. 1 dressed in all black didn’t work with that.

“We talk about ‘team’ all the time. ... I just wanted to get something else up there,” Beamer said Monday before his speech at his most recent Welcome Home speaking tour stop at Williams-Brice. “I reached out my bosses early on about changing it.”

He got to work with Justin King and USC’s creative media staff and was immediately impressed with the first design he saw. The new vertical banner features Beamer’s recruiting catch phrase “Welcome Home” beneath a palmetto tree and crescent.

“I love it. It’s really cool seeing that up there,” he said.

The banner is already being tweaked, however, as the colors did not come out as intended. A new banner with the correct shade of garnet will be going up, according to the university’s Twitter.

The Gamecocks updated signage and graphics inside the football practice facility before the summer to include new photos and a range of Beamer-inspired positive messaging.

The timing of the new stadium banner facing Bluff Road aligned with a trend. The original banner featuring Steve Spurrier was erected just before the 2014 season and removed in December 2015, a few months after Spurrier’s resignation. The last banner was raised in Will Muschamp’s first year. Before then, it was just a gray cement wall.

Players report next Thursday, first practice Friday

The Gamecocks will officially report next Thursday and will hold their first practice of fall camp the following day.

Per NCAA guidelines, Beamer is allowed on the field in the summer to conduct some workouts with his players, and he did on Monday afternoon.

“Tonight was the first time we were able to get back together with the team all at once,” Beamer said. “It was really cool to see the excitement and the energy on the field.”

Beamer will continue his Welcome Home tour with stops in Aiken and Charlotte on Wednesday before hosting a media golf tournament in Columbia on Thursday and holding another speaking tour event in Charleston on Thursday afternoon.

Vaccination update

Beamer on Monday again said the Gamecocks are “rapidly approaching” the 85% goal of COVID-19 vaccinations, but he didn’t disclose the exact number.

He was confident in the Gamecocks’ percentage last week at SEC Media Days and said more players have gotten the shot since last week’s update.

“We’re in a good position right now,” Beamer said.