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Dave Portnoy Calls Out South Carolina In Barstool’s Battle With ‘College Gameday’

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Dave Portnoy called out South Carolina for refusing to commit to hosting Barstool.


Dave Portnoy called out the University of South Carolina on Wake Up Barstool this week as he seemingly battles for a spot on campus with “College Gameday.”

He says the Gamecocks are “dragging their feet” on the opportunity to host Portnoy and his crew on campus. He then offered up a Plan B should the offer go unaccepted.

El Presidente is eyeing another game on the Week 12 schedule as he navigates a landing spot for the “Barstool College Football Show.”

Is South Carolina holding out for ‘College Gameday?’

I would imagine so. The Gamecocks are set to host Georgia under the lights on November 21st in Columbia. It will present a showdown between at Top 20 South Carolina team and the top-ranked Bulldogs should both squads take care of business in Week 11.

The university has hosted “College Gameday” eight times in the pregame show’s existence, with the most recent coming in 2024 vs. LSU. It provides publicity that’s unmatched ahead of the game deemed best of the week.

Not only does it give fans a chance to make an appearance on ESPN, but it also highlights campus to viewers and often opens up opportunities to market the history of host schools and programs.

With that said, “College Gameday” is not the only pregame show in sports media. Variations of the setup have been seen in series like “SEC Nation,” FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff,” and Barstool’s “College Football Show” – which has 63K followers on X and another 50K on Instagram.

They all vie for a top location on the college football slate. Dave Portnoy has South Carolina circled for his Week 12 choice. He says the ball is in the Gamecocks’ court.

Barstool wants South Carolina…

But the Gamecocks have not yet committed. Portnoy called the school out for “dragging its feet” on Tuesday.

“South Carolina’s dragging their feet and not committing,” he said on his latest episode of Wake Up Barstool. Based on his comments, it does not appear the door is closed, which leads to the assumption that the Gamecocks are awaiting word from “College Gameday.”

They may not get that OK until after Week 10 wraps up. I don’t see the pregame show going to Columbia should the Gamecocks lose their fourth game of the season and fall from the Top 25. They’ll need to beat Arkansas on the road in order to have a shot at hosting.

“College Gameday” typically announces its choice to the public during the week of the game. South Carolina would likely get a heads up a few days before, but Sunday is probably the earliest date of confirmation.

Given the university’s slow response, Portnoy challenged Jon Gruden to gauge Tennessee’s interest as it hosts LSU that same weekend.

“If you have a connection at Tennessee that says, ‘Hey, we’ll give you guys a great spot,’ we’ll flip and go to LSU-Tennessee.”

Can Columbia host two shows?

Last week, Notre Dame hosted both “College Gameday” and the “Barstool College Football Show” in South Bend. Can South Carolina do the same?

The university has welcomed both “College Gameday” and “SEC Nation” to campus, but I don’t recall them ever doing it on the same weekend. With that said, the possibility would appear to be on the table.

Typically, when “College Gameday” comes to town, the program sets up on The Horseshoe at the center of the South Carolina campus. Williams-Brice Stadium isn’t on campus. It’s located just south near the state fairgrounds.

The school has hosted “SEC Nation” at Gamecock Park, a popular tailgating area within walking distance to the stadium. It could seemingly do the same for Barstool.

Obviously, things will change logistically should both shows come to town. There is potential, though.

It seems the Gamecocks are waiting out “College Gameday’s” decision before committing to Barstool. If ESPN doesn’t choose Columbia, it may give Barstool centerstage on The Horseshoe should the offer remain open.

If it does, it will be up to South Carolina to decide on whether to host two pregame shows or pick between ESPN and Barstool. In my eyes, the more exposure the better, but for now, we’ll wait and see.