UNC and South Carolina renew their football rivalry in Charlotte tonight

For the first time in 60 years, the North Carolina and South Carolina football teams will face off on a neutral field.

Charlotte will host the two teams for the Belk College Kickoff Game tonight at Bank of America Stadium. And as UNC announced on Wednesday, the game will be followed by more Charlotte showdowns on Labor Day weekend in 2019 and 2023.

For the Charlotte Sports Foundation, the organization that helped establish the series, this is a step toward a college football tradition in Charlotte — a tradition the teams and organizers can benefit from.

This SEC and ACC matchup marks a trend of college football’s growing presence in the city dominated by local professional sports. But college football — particularly televised high-profile games — provides a distinct benefit for the city.

“We worked hard to get this first game and make it a success,” said Will Webb, executive director of the Charlotte Sports Foundation. “We want to try to make this a success and build a rivalry.

“It’s great for the city of Charlotte, it’s great for the Tar Heels and it’s great for the Gamecocks.”

Charlotte sits between Chapel Hill and Columbia, S.C., which draws an influx of Gamecock and Tar Heel fans alike. This is good news for local businesses during a low-volume time.

David Montgomery — the director of sales marketing for The Westin Charlotte, UNC’s official hotel for tonight’s game — said the game comes at a perfect time.

“The game is huge for us because Charlotte isn’t a big Labor Day destination,” Montgomery said. “So it has a big financial impact for our hotel.”

While the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets bring fans in during the season, neutral-site college games offer a different fan base for local businesses to serve.

“We benefit from the NFL schedule, but this adds another dimension for us,” Montgomery said.

Charlotte has hosted the Belk Bowl in the past as well as the ACC football championship. Webb said the Kickoff Game is anticipated to bring in similar economic contributions.

According to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, the 2014 ACC Championship Game and the 2014 Belk Bowl had economic boosts of $30.9 million and $16.7 million, respectively.

But Charlotte is not the only party that benefits from the Kickoff Game. UNC stands to make significantly more tonight than it does on home games.

Schools reeling cash

Both UNC and South Carolina are guaranteed $3.2 million for playing. Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications Steve Kirschner said UNC brings in between $1.5 and $1.7 million for an average home game.

Almost all involved in tonight’s game said they would like to see the series extended, but scheduling commitments make an annual series almost impossible.

Because teams try to ensure themselves six to seven home games each year, playing at a neutral site isn’t always a possibility.

Still, the Charlotte Sports Foundation has successfully extended the series. Webb said he knows a football tradition can still be formed.

With ACC and SEC teams pinned against each other in the Belk Bowl, many agree that Charlotte is the perfect place to develop this rivalry as well.

“Charlotte has built a great football tradition,” Kirschner said, “And we’re excited to add to that and to benefit from that.”

“It’s the perfect place.”

Catching up with old foe

North Carolina and South Carolina first met on the football field in 1903, and played each other at least twice every decade from 1900 to 1980. Duke, Maryland, N.C. State, Virginia and Wake Forest are the only teams UNC has played more.

The Tar Heels won the inaugural matchup between the two states’ flagship universities by a score of 17-0 and hold a 34-19-4 advantage in the all-time series.

Following UNC’s 27-6 win over South Carolina in 1910, The Daily Tar Heel referred to the Gamecocks as “the Secessionists.”

UNC and South Carolina played every year during the Roaring ‘20s. Even during World War II, the two teams managed to square off annually — with the Tar Heels hosting the Gamecocks in 1942 and 1944 and traveling to Columbia in 1943.

Both universities joined the ACC as charter members in 1953 and continued competing against each other every season through 1970, excluding 1965 and 1966.

In the 1968 game, the Tar Heels entered the fourth quarter with a 27-3 lead over the Gamecocks. But South Carolina scored 29 unanswered points to stun the Kenan Stadium crowd. A year later, the Gamecocks beat UNC 14-6 on their way to winning their first and only ACC title.

South Carolina left the ACC in 1971, and the rivalry began to fizzle. While the Gamecocks were independent in football from 1971 to 1991, the two border schools played 10 times. But an annual game became nearly impossible to schedule.

South Carolina moved to the SEC in 1992, ending any chances of the two teams playing regularly. Thursday marks only the third time since then that the two teams have faced off.

“You’ve gotta play each other to have a rivalry,” said Don McCauley, who was a consensus All-American at running back for UNC in 1970. “People talk about the game more when you’re playing every other year or every year.”

The two teams have continued to compete in recruiting, but Thursday’s game and the addition of two future meetings could help restore the rivalry.

And by playing in Charlotte, those who experienced the rivalry at its height are hopeful it can return to relevance.

“I think this is great that we’re playing on a neutral site in Charlotte,” McCauley said. “I think that makes it more exciting, and it makes some of the older fans of the sport reminisce a little about the great rivalry that once was.”

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