The Clemson-South Carolina football rivalry, traditionally played on “Big Thursday” but shifted to Saturdays since 1960, almost faced a change in 2024, as reported by David Hood of TigerNet.com.
The game, slated for Saturday, November 30th at Clemson this season, received interest from ESPN and the ACC to move it to Black Friday. ESPN proposed airing the game in primetime on their main channel, with a potential return match on Black Friday in Columbia.
However, Clemson declined ESPN and the ACC’s offer to reschedule the game. This decision, outlined in Hood’s report, left the ACC and ESPN disappointed. Michael Strickland, ACC’s Senior Associate Commissioner, expressed the conference’s disappointment in an email to Clemson, suggesting the school didn’t negotiate in good faith and didn’t prioritize the ACC’s future interests.
Clemson’s recent discussions about potentially leaving the ACC for another conference have been publicized, though their influence on this decision remains unclear. Regardless, it appears the Tigers and Gamecocks will uphold their scheduled rivalry game on Saturday, November 30th.
Hood’s report does not specify whether USC or the South Carolina football program were involved in these discussions.
The last time the Gamecocks and Tigers faced off at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, South Carolina claimed victory, ending the Tigers’ ACC-record streak of 40 consecutive wins at home.
