Petition: Change South Carolina-Clemson kickoff time

The news Monday of yet-another noon start for a South Carolina football game didn’t sit well with some fans.

The regular-season finale Nov. 28 between the Gamecocks and Clemson at Williams-Brice Stadium will be USC’s sixth noon game of the season. The only night home game all year was against Kentucky.

A noon start draws a negative reaction because it means an earlier wake-up is required to get to the games and there isn’t as much time for tailgating once you get settled. In short, later games are more likely to have a livelier atmosphere.

Responses via social media included:

▪  “no no no no”

▪  “Is this some sort of sick joke?”

▪  “I am assuming April fools came early? Because you can’t be serious! I’m tired of noon games!”

One fan took it a step further, starting a petition to “Change the Carolina Clemson rivalry game to a time other than noon.”

“We are asking for one thing,” the petition reads. “Move the Carolina vs Clemson game to a new time. 3:30pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm. Something other than noon.”

Later kickoffs are reserved for the week’s marquee games. While Clemson is currently No. 1 in the country, USC’s 3-7 start hasn’t motivated the TV decision-makers to give the Gamecocks one of those late times.

“Noon games can be fun every once in a while, but not for more than half of the season,” the petition reads. “They leave less time for tailgating before the game, most college students are tired from getting up early to make the most out of tailgating, and the atmosphere of a midday game isn’t nearly what it can be during an afternoon game or night game.”

The petition was close to 3,000 digital signatures as of Monday night.

“Most of all, being under a Carolina sunset, with 85,000 of your closet friends Sandstorming in Williams-Brice Stadium is what we need right now, and is something we haven’t been able to see for too long of a time,” it reads.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Petition: Change South Carolina-Clemson kickoff time."