The Springs Brooks Plaza outside Williams-Brice Stadium will have a new centerpiece with the delivery of the much-anticipated Gamecock sculpture on Thursday.

 No Athletics Department funds were used for the project as the one million-dollar bronze sculpture was privately funded and was made possible through the generosity of alumni donors, David ('84) and Lynette Seaton, and Bill Horton ('73) and his wife, Mary Major ('75).

"We needed something iconic," said David Seaton, who is retired after serving as the Chairman and CEO of the Fluor Corporation and currently lives in Dallas. "I had a smaller one done by an artist in New Mexico and it's inside Colonial Life Arena. I figured we needed something at Williams-Brice, and we needed something iconic. I think it's going to outdo my expectations. I've seen the progress pictures, and every time I saw them, I got excited. It's incredible."

"We have close ties to the University," said Horton, who is a retired executive from Blue Cross/Blue Shield and lives in the Isle of Palms. "We're both graduates from there. We have a long history of being linked to the University. We wanted to do something to honor Mary's parents, Bob and Madge Major, who are deceased, but were longtime Gamecock fans and season ticket holders for 50-plus years. We really made this contribution in their names. We thought it would be a wonderful capstone to all the work that has been done around the stadium with the Springs Brooks Plaza, Gamecock Park, the new practice facility and of course the new renovations to the stadium. We really thought this would top things off."

"We are very appreciative of David and Lynette Seaton and Bill Horton and Mary Major, whose donations paid for this statue," said South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner. "We have all been patiently waiting for it to arrive here. Its large size and intricate details make this statue unique. It will be worth the wait to have this magnificent statue in front of Williams-Brice Stadium."

The Gamecock sculpture will be placed near the corner of Bluff Road and George Rogers Boulevard. Work will begin Thursday and take nearly two weeks to complete assembly and final surface finishing. Standing approximately 20 feet tall and 20 feet wide, the impressive structure adds to the many focal points that have been incorporated into the plaza in recent years and is expected to be ready for unveiling prior to kickoff of the 2020 season on September 26 when South Carolina plays host to Tennessee.