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Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg, SC, home of South Carolina State. Capacity 22,000. Opened 1955.

Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg, SC
Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Orangeburg, SCPhoto: MBShuler72, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Capacity
22,000
Opened
1955
Surface
Poly Turf
Roof
Open air
Elevation
221 ft
South Carolina State here
81–⁠29 games on file since 2003

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2003 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium by season, 2003 to 20265k10k15k20k25k30k2003: 14,110 a game over 2 games; biggest 17,1762004: 9,608 a game over 3 games; biggest 17,1272005: 15,741 a game over 4 games; biggest 20,0502006: 14,594 a game over 4 games; biggest 18,1552007: 14,548 a game over 4 games; biggest 21,5002008: 13,383 a game over 5 games; biggest 17,1592009: 20,552 a game over 3 games; biggest 24,4962010: 14,858 a game over 5 games; biggest 22,0102011: 16,460 a game over 5 games; biggest 22,1812012: 16,179 a game over 4 games; biggest 20,0252013: 11,880 a game over 6 games; biggest 20,0222014: 10,670 a game over 6 games; biggest 15,4812015: 15,790 a game over 4 games; biggest 19,8212016: 10,148 a game over 4 games; biggest 15,4892017: 12,592 a game over 4 games; biggest 15,0892018: 9,174 a game over 5 games; biggest 14,4772019: 10,606 a game over 3 games; biggest 12,1212021: 7,661 a game over 2 games; biggest 9,1692022: 10,025 a game over 5 games; biggest 15,3492023: 10,661 a game over 5 games; biggest 22,2692024: 13,962 a game over 5 games; biggest 22,1692025: 12,702 a game over 5 games; biggest 24,3222026: 11,583 a game over 3 games; biggest 12,00020032008201320182023

Biggest crowds on file

24,496Florida A&M at South Carolina State2009
24,322Savannah State at South Carolina State2025
22,269Howard at South Carolina State2023
22,181North Carolina Central at South Carolina State2011
22,169Delaware State at South Carolina State2024

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for South Carolina State’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Former names
State College Stadium (1955–⁠1984)
Opened
1955
Surface over the years
Poly Turf

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

From above

50 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 180 by 200 meters (610 by 660 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Recent games here

Oct 3, 2026The Citadel 34, South Carolina State 31
Sep 12, 2026South Carolina State 66, Virginia State 0
Aug 29, 2026South Carolina State 87, Savannah State 0
Nov 8, 2025South Carolina State 42, Howard 12
Nov 1, 2025South Carolina State 36, Morgan State 30
Oct 4, 2025South Carolina State 49, Savannah State 6
Sep 13, 2025South Carolina State 55, Bethune-Cookman 41
Aug 30, 2025South Carolina State 16, Wofford 15
Nov 23, 2024South Carolina State 53, Norfolk State 21
Oct 31, 2024South Carolina State 24, North Carolina Central 21
Oct 26, 2024South Carolina State 69, Delaware State 35
Oct 19, 2024South Carolina State 30, Fort Valley State 3