City political, business leaders hope Beamer era at USC can bring renewed prosperity
In hiring Shane Beamer as its new football coach, the University of South Carolina is looking to resuscitate a program that has left fans and alumni disgruntled after the team struggled mightily to win games under former Coach Will Muschamp, particularly the last two seasons.
However, the selection of the 43-year-old Beamer — a former South Carolina assistant coach and the son of legendary former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer — could potentially ring out far beyond what happens on the field.
In many ways, the performance of the USC football team, and perhaps even the enthusiasm generated by the idea of a fresh start under a new coach, is tied to the economic and civic identity of Columbia.
Local excitement about the team wavered in the last two seasons, as Muschamp’s 2019 squad stumbled to a 4-8 record, and this year’s Gamecocks cratered to a 2-8 regular season mark in a campaign that was shortened to 10 games because of COVID-19. While he guided the Gamecocks to bowl appearances during his first three seasons at the helm, Muschamp’s overall record through five years was an unremarkable 28-30.
And, in large part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 football season likely didn’t give the city nearly the financial boost it normally gets from the Gamecocks.
Studies have shown that each Gamecocks home football game can bring more than $8 million in economic impact to the Columbia area. But that’s in a normal year, when 70,000 to 80,000 people from across the state and the South can gather for a game at Williams-Brice Stadium.
In 2020, however, the global pandemic led to capacity restrictions that limited crowds to about 15,000, and tailgating around the stadium was greatly scaled back.
So, as the USC program begins to turn its eyes to the 2021 campaign, city political, civic and business leaders are hopeful that the hiring of Beamer — who, aside from his previous stop at South Carolina, also has been an assistant coach at Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Georgia Tech — can turn around the trajectory of a program that saw success for a number of years under former coach Steve Spurrier, only to flatline under Muschamp’s watch.
As the Gamecocks go, so goes Columbia, said third-term Mayor Steve Benjamin, a USC alum and former student body president.
“This city is emotionally bound to the strength and vitality of the University of South Carolina football program,” Benjamin told The State. “That’s not my opinion, it is a fact. When the Gamecocks are winning on the gridiron, restaurant sales are up, hotel sales and rates are up, and there’s a vigor and vitality that is directly attached to the football program at the university. It’s a big deal, and we recognize that.”
Benjamin publicly welcomed Beamer back to Columbia on Twitter Dec. 7, which was the day of the coach’s introductory press conference with USC.
The fortunes of the Gamecocks football program help steer the tenor of the city, according to Matt Kennell, CEO of the City Center Partnership, the organization that advocates for property owners in Columbia’s resurgent Main Street District.
“I think the whole malaise with the Gamecocks this year made 2020 worse than it already was,” Kennell said. “So, I think a new beginning is a good thing. I think it will give the community a boost. … Mood is part of branding. Having people feel good about Columbia and the university and our football team, I think it does affect the mood of the city. I think when people feel better they are probably more likely to spend a little extra money. They may buy that new pair of shoes at Granger Owings or have that extra drink somewhere downtown.”
Kennell’s idea of a city’s mood being tied to the fortunes of a football team isn’t far-fetched. In a study for the Missouri University of Science and Technology entitled “A Winning Proposition: The Economic Impact of Successful NFL Franchises,” researchers asserted that success on the field led to greater civic pride, and more spending in the community.
The study noted that fans of winning teams showed “higher personal competencies on mental, social, and motor skill tasks than fans who witnessed their sport team being defeated,” and that spending, including “spontaneous charitable donations,” can increase in places where the home team is winning.
The idea of renewed excitement in the USC football program was met with enthusiasm by manager Joni James at Miss Cocky. That store — with locations on Main Street in downtown Columbia and out in Chapin — specializes in Gamecocks apparel and accessories, as well as other fashion items.
“We like that there’s hope in the air,” James said of the Beamer hiring. “There is a strong emphasis this time — even though every year we say ‘next year’ — but we are feeling really good about the future and what it means to have a new, innovative, young coach that can bring an extra spark. He’ll have plenty of student support and player support.
“We are really excited and hope it will generate business for us.”
While it remains to be seen whether Beamer ultimately finds success as USC’s head coach — he’s still finishing out the season at Oklahoma and has yet to put together his coaching staff at South Carolina — he certainly seemed to spark the fanbase, and local leaders, during his Dec. 7 opening press conference.
Carl Blackstone, CEO of the Columbia Chamber, thinks the young coach’s enthusiasm could be infectious.
“People thrive on optimism,” Blackstone said. “You saw that coming from the press conference. Coach Beamer cannot hide his optimism and his energy. That’s just contagious. I think it’s a great win for Columbia and the university and the fanbase. But, I think the business community in Columbia also could see a windfall because of this.”
