Shane Beamer shares thoughts on possibility of South Carolina-Clemson on Black Friday in 2027

The conversation has been ongoing for years now. It’s very much a “will they, won’t they” situation surrounding South Carolina-Clemson and the long-standing idea of playing on Black Friday.

At this point, it’s well known how both head coaches feel about it. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney has been opposed to the idea, stating before that “it’s not what’s best for Clemson.” Meanwhile, Shane Beamer and South Carolina have always been open to it.

For as much talk as there is every year about moving the game to Black Friday, nothing ever comes of it. That, however, could change within the next few years.

The most recent contract formalizing the upcoming football games between the two schools includes an option for the 2027 game to be played on either Friday, Nov. 26, or Saturday, Nov. 27.

“That was news to me. I’ve got more important matters to worry about right now, not when we’re playing Clemson in 2027,” Beamer said on Tuesday. “Those are conversations that Coach (Ray) Tanner and I had two years ago before the ’23 season; there was talk about us potentially doing that. There was talk about the possibility of that happening last year. So I know it’s been something that has been talked about at different times.”

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The 2027 game would be played at Williams-Brice Stadium. Swinney has publicly stated that he’d be open to playing on a Friday when the game is in Columbia, but not when it’s at Clemson.

Swinney sees it as better to play the Palmetto Bowl on a Saturday because fans and students have more time to travel after Thanksgiving, the impact it has on recruiting, as well as how game days support local businesses in Clemson, which is a much smaller town compared to Columbia.

On the other hand, Beamer thinks it would be great exposure to have both programs play on a day when fewer games are going on. He referenced how Georgia Tech-Georgia, which had always been played on a Saturday, moved to Friday night last year, which drew an average of 8.5 million viewers with a peak of 11.5 million.

“Everybody in the country was watching that Georgia-Georgia Tech game last year that was on Friday night, including me, who stayed up way too late watching that game before a 12 noon kickoff at Clemson the next day,” Beamer said. “And I’m assuming our players were all up late. But you have the eyes of the country, Friday night primetime. So there’s a lot of positives from that standpoint.”

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Like Swinney, Beamer also understands the impact moving the game to Friday could have on recruiting. High school playoffs in South Carolina are still going on at that point and don’t usually end until mid-December. So that could present some challenges with getting recruits, who may still be playing, into town for a gameday visit.

“I think there’s a lot of different dynamics, but ultimately, you want to do what’s best for your team,” Beamer said. “You also want to do what’s best for your fan base. And I think there’s a lot of positives in it, and there’s some drawbacks in it as well.”

Beamer added that he and athletics director Jeremiah Donati have yet to discuss this possibility, though it’s something on the agenda for down the road.

“I’m kind of indifferent towards it,” he said, “and I see the positives on both ends of it.”

For now, the Palmetto Bowl will remain in its normal Saturday slot, continuing this year with Clemson traveling to South Carolina on Nov. 29. Kickoff will be at noon on ABC from Williams-Brice Stadium.

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