South Carolina is getting an unexpected assist at the box office, and it comes from Costco.
Brett McMurphy of On3 reported that Costco is offering discounted tickets for seven FBS programs, including South Carolina, Washington, Louisville, Tulane, FAU, Temple and UConn. The deals vary widely, with prices ranging from $11.99 for all FAU home games to $202.99 for Indiana at Washington and Penn State at Washington. Some packages also come with a $20 food and beverage credit or parking.
That kind of promotion is a sharp reminder that not every program can count on filling every seat on its own, even if the backdrop at Williams-Brice has been strong in recent years. For Shane Beamer’s South Carolina team, though, the need for outside help in the ticket department lands awkwardly, especially with the Gamecocks being grouped alongside programs like FAU, Temple and UConn.
Louisville and Washington are playoff hopefuls, and Tulane enters the season as the reigning Group of Five champion, but the full list still does South Carolina no favors. The larger point is hard to miss: the Gamecocks are trying to rebuild trust after last season’s catastrophe, and this doesn’t exactly scream momentum.
Even among South Carolina fans, confidence appears shaky heading into this season.
Clemson, meanwhile, is in a much steadier place. Both programs are expected to hover around the top 25 to open the year, but Dabo Swinney’s team has been the more reliable one.
Swinney has his critics, sure, but he brings far more stability than Beamer, whose sideline energy can be a weapon one week and a mess the next. His edge can lift South Carolina at times, but it can also work against the kind of consistency the program needs.
That matters because Clemson can’t afford to waste an opportunity if South Carolina remains in flux. Swinney’s run of producing at least one 10-win season every other year is in danger, and the Tigers need to take care of business.
They already won the previous meeting at Death Valley, and this time they need to defend home turf better. South Carolina should be bowl-eligible, but anything beyond that is probably asking a lot.
Still, the Palmetto Bowl may not even be the defining game for Clemson’s season. The biggest goal is simple: go at least 7-1 in ACC play. If Clemson can also beat Miami early and win at LSU in non-conference play, the Tigers could be on track for a playoff spot before South Carolina ever arrives on the schedule.
So the wait continues on how this season will actually look for the Gamecocks. If they rebound to 2024 form, the rivalry game could carry real playoff stakes.
If last year’s version shows up again, Clemson will view it as a game it simply cannot lose. Either way, one thing is clear for now: Clemson fans are not about to be lured to Columbia by a Costco deal.
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Clemsons Road Schedule Looks Friendly Until These ACC Trips Matter
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A ranking of those five road games puts some of the cleaner opportunities near the top, but the tougher stretches come when Clemson has to navigate places where history, venue, and conference pressure can tilt a game faster than the matchup alone suggests. For a team with conference title ambitions, the challenge is less about surviving the obvious heavyweights and more about avoiding a slip in one of the trips that looks safe until the context starts to matter. [Read more 🡒]