Shane Beamer encourages support of NIL for South Carolina
During Shane Beamer’s weekly Tuesday press conference, the South Carolina head coach was asked a question pertaining to NIL. Beamer used the opportunity to share why supporting NIL is necessary for the Gamecocks success. Not only in football but in every sport.
“Whether you agree with NIL, disagree with NIL, you want to win at the highest level and you want to win championships like we do here at Carolina, we’re going to have to be very active from an NIL standpoint, a collective standpoint,” said Beamer. “We’ve got some people that have done some great things for our student-athletes and grateful for them, and frankly we need more of them, as well.”
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South Carolina has been as active as anyone in the SEC this fall when it comes to promoting their NIL. According to South Carolina Athletics Director of Social Media Patrick Osborne, since that start of September South Carolina has 26 NIL related posts/shares from their main athletic account. The next closest in the SEC during that time period from the main account is two.
“All I would say is it’s something that we’re going to be very active in. I want what’s best for our players. I’ll make every phone call, speak to every group I can when it comes to raising money for our guys from an NIL standpoint.”
The question was sparked by a statement made by Kentucky coach Mark Stoops on Monday on his weekly radio show.
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“I can promise you, Georgia? They bought some pretty good players,” said Stoops, whose team loss to the Bulldogs 51-13 over the weekend. “You’re allowed to these days. We could use some help.”
Beamer smiled when asked about Stoops’ comments admitting he was waiting for someone to ask him about it.
“I did see that comment from last night from Coach Stoops. “I don’t know, I can’t speak for his program, I can’t speak for the Georgia program, but NIL is certainly a major factor not just in college football but all across college athletics right now in every sport, whether it be with coach (Dawn) Staley and her women’s team or coach (Lamont) Paris or coach (Mark) Kingston, or Bill McDonald and Kalen Anderson on golf, on and on, I can name all the sports here at Carolina,” said Beamer said. “NIL is part of it. Particularly with young men and women that are transferring from a school for different reasons, as well.”
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Georgia’s coach Kirby Smart, as well as other coaches around the league, recognized what Stoops was doing, seemingly in an effort to encourage their own fans to donate more to the program’s NIL efforts. That includes Beamer.
“So absolutely I hear coach Stoops and what he’s saying, and I’m grateful for our fans and every amount of money that they give to this university, this football program, paying money to come to games at Williams-Brice Stadium. But for those that have the ability to give, we need you, for sure.”
