Clemson will conclude its common season by internet hosting South Carolina within the annual Palmetto Bowl. Dabo Swinney questioned why the rivalry recreation is not receiving a much bigger highlight from ESPN.
The No. 17 Tigers will face the No. 18 Gamecocks on Saturday at midday ET. ESPN will broadcast the matchup after holding Faculty GameDay at Faculty Station forward of a major SEC showdown between Texas and Texas A&M.
On his weekly Tiger Hour radio present, Swinney implied that ESPN did not select Clemson as its Faculty GameDay location as a result of the varsity refused a request from the community.
“I assume it’s the highest-ranked rivalry recreation within the nation this week,” Swinney mentioned, by way of On3. “So you realize, how cool is that? You’d have thought GameDay would’ve been right here, however I feel they’re mad at me as a result of I didn’t transfer the sport to Friday.”
This weekend will mark the 18th straight time Clemson and South Carolina play one another the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, ESPN and the ACC inquired about pushing the showdown up a day.
South Carolina would have moved a future dwelling recreation to Friday as a part of the association, however Clemson declined.
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“It’s what’s greatest for Clemson,” Swinney mentioned Sunday, per The State’s Chapel Fowler. “It’s what’s greatest for the neighborhood right here. This can be a small city. This isn’t some huge metropolis. This can be a small city, and we now have numerous companies that rely on these gamedays.”
Swinney added that transferring the sport to Friday would harm recruiting by going up in opposition to highschool soccer playoff video games. His gamers would additionally need to return to campus on Thanksgiving to make the sport.
Faculty GameDay would not have been an possibility had Clemson agreed to tweak custom with a Black Friday recreation. Swinney could surprise if ESPN spurned his program out of retaliation, however the No. 3 Longhorns and No. 15 Aggies are ranked larger than the Tigers and Gamecocks. The matchup will decide who performs within the SEC Championship Recreation.
But this yr’s Palmetto Bowl additionally has excessive stakes for Clemson, which is one win away from taking part in for the ACC title.
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