The Battle of the Palmetto State coming to an end?
A legislator in the Palmetto State is introducing a bill that would require the University of South Carolina and Clemson to continue their annual football rivalry game which is at a streak of 103 games. With both schools being members of expanding conferences, the probability of ending the second-longest rivalry is a real threat. This prompted State Representative Nathan Ballentine (R-Lexington) to introduce a proposal to ensure the annual matchup continues. State legislatures will consider the proposal as early as tomorrow.
South Carolina is a member of the SEC and Clemson the ACC. With both conferences expanding and the ACC requiring league members to play nine conference games and three non-conference games, Clemson may not have the option to schedule USC. The prospect of the rivalry game coming to an end has made some constituents irate causing a flood of calls to state legislatures.
This is not the first time the state intervened in this historic rivalry. In 1952, the General Assembly required the two programs to play to prevent the streak, among other things, from ending.
It is understandable that the state wants to ensure this long-time rivalry does not end, but to legally require the teams to play is just wrong. Spokesman for USC, Wes Hickman stated, “athletic schedules need to be decided by athletic directors and coaches,” not the lawmakers.
