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A notable SEC head coach has turned away a potential transfer who wanted him to make a promise in order to join the roster. The demand had little to do with NIL, and more to do with his role on the team.
Shane Beamer said that the unnamed transfer wanted his status as a starter guaranteed upon arriving to South Carolina. The coach has chosen not to play ball.
Beamer said the following in a recent meeting with the media.
“We had a young man that wanted us to promise him a starting spot last night and we wouldn’t, so he’s going to another SEC school. We’re not promising starting jobs,” Beamer said. “We’re here to compete, that’s the first thing.”
Fans were quick to react on social media to the comments. Many commended Beamer for his outlook.
One person wrote, “Only desperate teams make those kinds of promises.”
Someone else said, “Excellent character from an excellent coach.”
This college football fan replied, “This is why I love Shane Beamer… Nothing is given, you’ve got to earn that spot.”
It’s not the first time we’ve seen something like this. Nick Saban has also spoken about turning away players for making unreasonable demands in order to play for the Tide.
Some of those demands included not only NIL payment, but also a player wanting his girlfriend granted entry into the University of Alabama School of Law (and for the school to pay for it).
It is interesting that in this most recent case, Shane Beamer says that the transfer will attend another SEC rival. We may never know who the player is, but he could very well be on the Gamecocks’ schedule in the future.
This is the new world of college sports. Not everyone is caving to the players’ wishes.