By Keith Cannon
It’s that time again! College football is alive and well in the Carolinas!
In the world of big-time college sports, the Carolinas usually make the most headlines during basketball season. What Duke, UNC or NC State fan doesn’t know about Coach K, Dean Smith, Roy Williams, Michael Jordan and all those national and Atlantic Coast Conference championships along “Tobacco Road”?
But for pure passion, pride and pageantry, don’t underestimate the appeal of a fall Saturday afternoon or evening at a college football game in one of the many historic stadiums in the two states. National championships usually aren’t on the line – the last one claimed by an NCAA Division I school in the Carolinas was Clemson in 1981 – but the rivalries are intense. And this season marks the renewal of one of the most historic, as the North Carolina Tar Heels and the South Carolina Gamecocks meet on Oct. 13 in Chapel Hill. It’s the first time the two schools have met on the gridiron since 1991.
As the season gets under way, hopes are high for fans of schools all across the Carolinas. North Carolina and North Carolina State have new head coaches and Wake Forest is coming off its first ACC championship in 36 years. In the Palmetto State, Clemson and South Carolina look to build on good seasons in 2006.
But football weekends in the Carolinas will have a lot to offer beyond the action on the field. In this part of the country, the weather allows most football weekends to be as much about socializing as they are about cheering the team on to victory. Many fans come hours early to get the best spots for tailgate picnics, and you’ll see everything from the simple (hot dogs on the grill) to the elaborate (a full sit-down dinner with tablecloths and wine glasses). And don’t be in a hurry to go home. If the game starts early enough there’s time to do it all over again after the crowd heads back to the parking lot!
School Traditions
Traditions and history also mean a lot to football fans in the Carolinas. Take Kenan Stadium, located in the middle of a cluster of pine trees at the center of the UNC campus. University benefactor Frank Kenan insisted that the stadium that bears his name should never be built above the tops of the trees, so any additions have had to wait on Mother Nature to grow those trees to sufficient height.
You can see continuing tradition at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, nicknamed Death Valley, where the Tigers run down The Hill at the East End Zone entrance and rub Howard’s Rock for good luck before the start of each game. It’s billed as “the most exciting 25 seconds in college football.”
But University of South Carolina fans would also make a case for the Gamecocks’ energetic “2001” entrance into Williams-Brice Stadium before the start of USC home games. A Gamecock supporter suggested what has become the new tradition after seeing an Elvis Presley concert in which the singer took the stage to the opening strains of the theme to the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.” It also commemorates another significant event, as the year 2001 was the University’s bicentennial.
Riveting Rivalries
At every school, tradition and weekend trips center around Homecoming weekend – check your favorite team’s schedule. And to help you plan your trip if you’re just looking for a good game to catch, here are some of the 2007 season’s most appealing match-ups. Check with the host school for game times, as kickoff is determined by television schedules in many cases.
South Carolina at North Carolina, Oct. 13, Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill – Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier is trying to bring a national championship to Columbia, just as he did at his alma mater, the University of Florida, in 1996. Butch Davis, who rebuilt one of the nation’s elite programs at the University of Miami (Fla.), is in his first year coaching at UNC.
Appalachian State at Furman, Oct. 27, Greenville, SC – There’s good football in the Carolinas at the Division 1-AA level, too. The Mountaineers are the two-time defending 1-AA National Champions and Furman was also in the playoffs last year.
North Carolina at North Carolina State, Nov. 10, Raleigh – North Carolina State also has a new coach this year, Tom O’Brien. Both schools hope to be in contention for a bowl bid by the time this annual rivalry is renewed at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Clemson at South Carolina, Nov. 24, Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia – This game makes most lists of the nation’s hardest-fought traditional rivalry games in college football. With the leap year coming up next year, a victory this year will be good for 365 full days of bragging rights for Tiger or Gamecock fans.
AAA Keeps You In The Game!
AAA Carolinas is proud to be a title sponsor of Packman’s 2007 Southern Fried Football Tour. Be sure to pick up your definitive guide to all things southern football by visiting the SFF Tour stops or stop by your local AAA branch office. |
