Sports in South Carolina

A variety of sports are popular in the US state of South Carolina.

College football is the most popular sport.^[1][2] Memorial Stadium and Williams–Brice Stadium are two of the 55 largest stadiums in the world. Clemson University and the University of South Carolina are both ranked in the top 27 colleges in the country in athletic revenue.^[3] Their rivalry is considered one of the best in college sports,^[4][5][6][7] and their annual football game (the Palmetto Bowl) is considered the most important sporting event in the state.^[8]

There are no major league professional franchises based in South Carolina. However, the state does have numerous minor league and lower-division (soccer) teams. Additionally, the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC, two major league professional teams based in Charlotte near the South Carolina border, have shown their desire to represent both of the Carolinas.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Myrtle Beach is the self-proclaimed "Golf Capital of the World", with around ninety courses.^[13] The Grand Strand and Hilton Head areas are both ranked in the top four locations in the country in golf courses per capita.^[14] The state is also a prime destination for water sports. A government survey from 2000 found that South Carolina had the seventh most surfers of any state in the nation.^[15]