There is an aisle in the state of South Carolina one does not cross. No, this aisle is not political (per se) or religious (although some would argue that fact); this is an aisle separated by 132 miles and a “Sandstorm.”
The instate football rivalry between South Carolina and Clemson began in 1896, the first year of Clemson football and only the fourth year of Carolina football. That first game was scheduled for the Thursday morning of the annual South Carolina State Fair in Columbia, and a 57-year tradition was born: Big Thursday. Carolina emerged victorious from that earliest matchup, and games were played here and there during the 12 years following the inceptive game.
The fans made clear how heated this rivalry was after the 1902 game in Columbia. It was the year Clemson was being coached by the legendary John Heisman, Cocky made his first appearance, and Carolina upset an undefeated Clemson. A full-scale riot broke out between the two teams following this game, giving all spectators near and far a look at what a deep-seated rivalry it had truly become, resulting in the contest being banned until 1909. From 1909 to 2019, the series ran uninterrupted with 111 consecutive games, the second-longest running continuous rivalry in FBS Division 1 college football.
In 1959, Clemson Coach Frank Howard made strong efforts to have the annual Carolina-Clemson game moved from Big Thursday to a home-and-home style series that the schools alternated hosting. He succeeded in 1960, and the Carolina-Clemson game has alternated between the two home turfs as the regular season finale ever since. This instate matchup, dubbed “The Palmetto Bowl” in 2014, usually falls in late November on Thanksgiving weekend.
In 2020, the Palmetto Bowl was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, breaking the 111-year streak. This will make the November 2021 matchup the 118th time the teams have met and the most highly anticipated game of the season, regardless of the side of the aisle on which you’ll set up your tailgate!
