A Gamecock Odyssey

"Alan Piercy captures with a historian's detail and a devoted fan's passion probably the most exciting yet traumatic era of Gamecocks athletics. I know because I was there for all of it. For Gamecocks fans or sports buffs, A Gamecock Odyssey will be a historical must-read."—Bob Gillespie, former senior sportswriter/columnist with The State Media and coauthor of South Carolina Golf

"Leaving the ACC, the mystery of Jimmy Foster, South Carolina's adoption and encouragement of women's sports, and even a foray into the Gamecocks' history of mascots, A Gamecock Odyssey shines light on several of the skeletons in USC's closets. Even if you thought you knew what really went on, Odyssey adds the details and nuances you missed."—David Cloninger, USC beat writer, Post and Courier

"Alan Piercy displays a landscape of Gamecock athletics that teaches me history is more complicated than just pointing out wins and losses. Written with a passion that is surely bleeding garnet and black, but with the journalistic integrity our programs deserve, A Gamecock Odyssey is a must-read for Gamecock fans of any generation."—Jim Sonefeld, former student athlete and drummer, Hootie & the Blowfish

"A captivating history of a unique and colorful era of USC sports—the twenty years that were sandwiched between ACC and SEC conference affiliation. Even the most ardent fans will gain new insights from this meticulously researched work. Odyssey is a must-read for all Gamecock fans young and old."—Mike Chibbaro, author of The Cadillac—The Life Story of University of South Carolina Football Legend Steve Wadiak

"The University of South Carolina's two decades as an independent competitor might have been a 'long wilderness path' in Alan Piercy's words, but Piercy's thorough and entertaining retelling of that period reminds us why so many engaging stories happen in the wilderness. With meticulous research and the perspective of countless people who were there through the rise and fall of the Gamecocks' fortunes between ACC and SEC membership, Piercy shines through as a born storyteller and a lifelong USC fan, determined to give everything from the rise of women's sports to the scandals of those years to the possibility of a 'chicken curse' their just due."—Bethany Bradsher, author of The Classic: How Everett Case and His Tournament Brought Big-Time Basketball to the South and Bones McKinney: Basketball's Unforgettable Showman