ESPN sticks it to Dabo Swinney after Clemson refuses major TV offer

It looks like Clemson's decision to decline ESPN and the ACC's request to move the South Carolina game to Black Friday is coming back around in an interesting way.

Clemson fans were eagerly awaiting the announcement of the game time for the Tigers' much-anticipated rivalry matchup against South Carolina, only to be met with a disappointing reveal: a noon kickoff. While the game will be nationally televised on ABC, many fans had their hopes set on a primetime slot, especially for a matchup likely to feature two top-15 teams and a red-hot Gamecocks squad.

Instead, it’s a high noon showdown, and some are wondering if Clemson’s early 2024 standoff with ESPN and the ACC had something to do with the decision.

Back in July, reports surfaced that Clemson had declined a request from the ACC and ESPN to move the South Carolina game to Black Friday. The networks offered a sweet deal, including a primetime slot for the rivalry game on Friday, fewer ACC road night games in 2024, and make the 2027 Labor Day Monday game against NC State a home game. In addition, ESPN said that they would have South Carolina host a Black Friday game in the future, but dates and details of when that might happen were murky at best.

Despite these incentives, Clemson stood firm. Athletic Director Graham Neff and university leadership opted to prioritize tradition, keeping the Palmetto Bowl on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Their decision wasn’t just about preserving rivalry tradition—it also was a commitment to the Clemson community. As a small college town — one of the smallest in the country, as a matter of fact — Clemson relies heavily on its seven home game Saturdays each year to sustain local businesses. Hotels, restaurants, and shops depend on the influx of fans to make their living. Moving the game to Black Friday could have disrupted this delicate economic balance, cutting into travel plans and affecting revenue.

But did that decision come with consequences? Clemson fans certainly think so.

While it’s understandable that ESPN would give the primetime slot to Texas A&M vs. Texas—a rekindling of one of college football’s greatest rivalries—fans feel the Tigers deserved better than a noon kickoff.

A 3:30 p.m. kickoff would have still had the game end at night, and would've provided just as much of a ratings boost for ESPN and ABC. However, that time slot went to Alabama-Auburn for the Iron Bowl.

This game, which features two teams that will likely be ranked inside the Top-15, feels like it should’ve gotten the night-game treatment, especially considering the atmosphere a rivalry clash under the lights creates.

The last time Clemson hosted South Carolina at night was in 2018, during the Tigers’ National Championship season led by Trevor Lawrence. Adding to the sting, the past two trips to Columbia have been night games, but Clemson hasn’t had the same opportunity for its home fans.

While it’s impossible to say definitively, it feels like ESPN might be sending a subtle message to Clemson. Noon games may bring good ratings, but they lack the prestige and energy of primetime.

In the end, Clemson fans will have to get up early to see their team compete. The game will bring in good ratings, no doubt, and the Tigers better be ready because South Carolina is playing like a team that could compete with anyone in the country right now, night game or not.

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