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Clemson declined request from ACC to move Palmetto Bowl to Black Friday, per report
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Clemson declined a request from the ACC and ESPN to move its rivalry matchup against South Carolina to Black Friday, according to a report.
That news comes from TigerNet, who cites court records in its report. If Clemson had agreed to move the game, it would have been played in primetime on Friday, Nov. 29. Instead, the game will be played as scheduled on Saturday, Nov. 30.
In the wake of Clemson’s refusal to move the game, the following message (also obtained by TigerNet) was sent by ACC associate commissioner Michael Strickland to Clemson athletic director Graham Neff:
“As has been indicated to you during this process, the Conference Office is disappointed in Clemson University’s lack of cooperation on this matter. As all ACC members know, it is incumbent upon the ACC and its institutions to work in good faith with ESPN on football scheduling issues. This cooperation maximizes the value of our relationship with our media partner and strengthens our collective future. Clemson’s decision to not do so in this instance is harmful toward that goal.”
Clemson and South Carolina first met on the gridiron in 1896. The 2 rival programs played on the third Thursday in October through 1959. The game was moved to November 1960 and has typically been played on a Saturday since then.
ESPN moved multiple rivalry-week games to Black Friday this year in an apparent attempt to secure more TV viewership on that day. Possibly as a result of Clemson’s decision to keep the Palmetto Bowl on Saturday, Georgia will host Georgia Tech on Black Friday in primetime. The Egg Bowl has also been moved to Black Friday this year and will have an afternoon time slot on ABC.
Clemson is 73-43-4 all-time in this series. The Tigers won on the road in 2023 after dropping a home game to South Carolina in 2022.
Clemson is one of multiple ACC schools currently suing the conference as it seeks relief from the league’s grant-of-rights agreement.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
