Bret Bielema addresses where his relationship with Shane Beamer stands after bowl spat

With the addition of the 12-team College Football Playoff, it seems as if non-Playoff bowl games have lost a bit of luster. But not all of them fall in that category.

Last season’s Citrus Bowl was anything but boring, as Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer got embroiled in a bit of a confrontation in the third quarter.

Bielema appeared to taunt Beamer by walking toward a South Carolina huddle and gesturing by extending his arms wide like a plane. That alluded back to a kick return earlier in the game in which Gamecock return man Juju McDowell extended his arms wide on the return to fake a catch while Nyck Harbor caught the kick.

When the South Carolina coach saw it, he lost it. Then, the two went back and forth.

Bowl Games don’t matter?? Tell that to Shane Beamer and Bret Bielema

LOOK WHAT THE CHEEZ-IT BOWL MEANS TO THESE GUYS

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— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 31, 2024

Bielema addressed his current relationship with Beamer, six months later. He was asked where the two stand on the June 20 edition of “Pardon My Take.”

“I got caught up in the moment, you know, and that one was kind of more a little moment in the game,” Bielema said. “So I literally called him. There was later in January a coaches convention and I knew his dad [Frank Beamer] was getting an award so I probably knew he was gonna be there. I was gonna try and make it to the event but couldn’t do it so I called him and had a conversation and it was very cordial. I think you’ve just gotta get past those moments. That ended up being a rule change, so for the good of the game that was actually a good thing that happened.”

Bielema/Beamer spat led to ‘fair catch’ rule change

The rule change he is referring to was passed back in February. The new rule states that any player on a kickoff return team who makes a “T” signal with his arms during a kick will result in the play being whistled dead as a fair catch signal.

“I think his issue was when we threw the throw-back kickoff return, our kickoff returner did this (extends arms out), which most teams, that’s a signal that it’s a touchback and we’re not going to return the kick,” Beamer said following the Citrus Bowl. “You’re allowed to do that, as long as you don’t do a waving motion. It’s no different than on a punt. If the punt returner comes pointing to the ball that’s bouncing on the ground, he’s allowed to return it. If you’re doing this (waving) you’re not allowed to return it.”

“There was no waving of the arms, and I cleared it with the Big 12 officials before the game. I told them we were going to do it, making sure they were good with it, and they said, ‘Yeah, just as long as he doesn’t wave the arms.’ So I think he had an issue with that.”

Although competitive spirits boiled over in the moment, it appears as if the coaches have smoothed things over since.