Dabo Swinney cracks joke about Gamecocks during ACC Kickoff

Dabo Swinney has had a busy past two offseasons, including this summer, due to family plans and travels. One of those visits earlier this year led to an encounter that must have been quite the party up in Rhode Island.

Swinney spoke about his past few months, including a second consecutive wedding as well as a trip up to the northeast, while at ACC Media Days in Charlotte on Thursday. As part of a 30th wedding anniversary with his wife, Swinney said they went to Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island for a week. That then led to an experience in Newport that none in attendance will soon forget.

“Speaking of wedding, we show up at the hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, which was awesome. Walking in and this lady goes, ‘Oh my god, it’s Dabo!’. She’s screaming in the lobby. Other people in there are going, ‘Who’s this crazy lady? What’d she just say?'” Swinney said. “Her daughter was a Clemson graduate. It was a Friday and they were there getting married. Her daughter was getting married that weekend.”

So, what else would Swinney do that night but attend the dinner the night before the wedding? However, while he was in a room full of several Tigers, one of the guests of honor was in fact a rival that he hopes has had a change of heart since their honeymoon.

“I went to the rehearsal dinner with the whole great crowd, a bunch of Clemson students,” said Swinney. “She was marrying a Gamecock by the way – so she has saved his life. She has probably set that straight.”

The Palmetto Bowl got an extra addition at this wedding with Swinney making an appearance. It’s now just a question of which program in the rivalry that the groom that night will be cheering for in 2024.

Swinney on ESPN asking to move game vs. South Carolina: ‘I don’t think it’s what’s best for Clemson’

News broke earlier this offseason that ESPN and the ACC wanted Clemson to move its rivalry matchup with South Carolina to Black Friday. Clemson refused to do so and they will play the game on Saturday per usual this fall.

Dabo Swinney explained that choice during a recent press conference. The reported asked if AD Graham Neff approached Swinney and asked for his thoughts about moving the game. Neff did speak with Swinney who is thankful the two were on the same page.

“Yeah, he did ask my opinion on that. And I was against it for several reasons,” Swinney explained. “I said, ‘I’m happy to go do it in Columbia if that’s what they want to do’. But I was against it because I don’t think it’s what’s best for Clemson.”

“I think sometimes we forget to do what’s best for Clemson. And I think it’s not what’s best for this town. It’s not what’s best for this community,” Swinney said. “ This is not some big city. The people in this town? They make their hay off of those Saturdays. And I think our students, for them coming back here? Because they’re off. Being able to come back on Friday after Thanksgiving with their family and be able to be here and create the type of atmosphere that we want (is important).”

Swinney added that recruiting also factored into the decision.

“That’s my perspective on what’s best for our students, what’s best for this town, what’s best for our fans. And what’s best for recruiting. That’s usually a big official visit weekend for us and a big recruiting weekend,” Swinney said. “Now you’re trying to get recruits here to leave their homes on Thanksgiving. That’s hard to do. And some of them are playing on Fridays. So that was my thoughts on it. That was just my opinion.”

The ACC and ESPN offered Clemson incentives to move the game to Black Friday but Swinney, Neff, and the Tigers declined. Swinney believes that without a doubt it was the right decision to keep the game on Saturday.

“I’m thankful that he supported that. I’m glad it is where it is,” Swinney said. “If they want us to go down there and play on Friday night next year, we’ll do it. But these Saturdays in the Valley are special and they mean a lot to the fanbase here. And, again, if it was a normal week and we’re in school and things like that? Maybe it could’ve been a little bit of a different conversation. But that wasn’t something that I was for.”