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The Clemson Tigers host in-state rival South Carolina in the final week of the 2024 college football season. That matchup will kick off at noon in Death Valley the ACC announced on Monday.
A number of Clemson fans are unhappy with the early start as it could put a damper on the atmosphere in Memorial Stadium. The Tigers might only have themselves to blame!
Prior to season’s start, the Atlantic Coast Conference offered Clemson a guaranteed primetime slot over the holiday weekend. The league extended an option of moving the rivalry game to Black Friday.
At the time, the Tigers were voicing displeasure with conference alongside Florida State with rumors swirling of a potential departure in college football realignment. Clemson would end up standing pat in its affiliation, but it opted to reject the ACC’s scheduling suggestion.
Clemson University refused a request by the Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN to move this year’s home game against South Carolina to the Friday night after Thanksgiving on Black Friday.
Court documents obtained by TigerNet pertaining to the school’s lawsuit against the conference in its efforts to break the Grant of Rights revealed that the conference and ESPN made the request…
-David Hood, TigerNet
That rejection has quickly come back to bite! Despite a matchup of likely Top 25 contenders, the game will be played at noon rather than under the lights.
The rivalry renews at a sold-out Death Valley.
New kickoff time announced:
🏈: Clemson vs. South Carolina
📆: Saturday, Nov. 30
📍: Death Valley
⏰: Noon ET
📺: ESPN
🎟️ (Secondary): https://t.co/Xe9OiwX4Bf pic.twitter.com/46Qo6v87Zs— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) November 18, 2024
The game will be played on ESPN, but there won’t be a national spotlight. Instead, Georgia and Georgia Tech will take the Black Friday primetime slot, which is set to be aired on ABC. Florida and Florida State will play at either 7 PM or 7:30 PM on Saturday.
At this point in the season, the Clemson-South Carolina game could be one of just two contests that weekend to see Top 25 teams square off, joining Texas and Texas A&M. It should be one of the top games of the day!
This won’t be a popular take, but South Carolina-Clemson should be played on Black Friday in prime-time.
I’m fine with Thanksgiving night, too. Give the rivalry the national spotlight treatment it deserves.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) November 18, 2024
Unfortunately, it might not feel like it given the noon start. Clemson could be regretting that preseason decision to nix the Friday night offer.