Dawn Staley comes to Shane Beamer's aid following Title IX Ceremony incident

South Carolina Women’s Basketball head coach Dawn Staley is siding with Gamecocks football coach Shane Beamer regarding an incident that happened during Saturday’s blowout loss to No. 1 Georgia.

During the Gamecocks’ 48-7 loss to Georgia, the game was delayed for a prolonged media timeout while female student-athletes were being taken off the field after an in-game ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Beamer was seen screaming to get the athletes off the field so that play could resume.

“Hey @CoachSBeamer sorry I’ve been under a rock the last few days but we know you have done nothing but support our programs since the day you became @GamecockFB head coach! All hands on deck to get a win on Saturday!” Staley tweeted Monday night.

The incident has sparked criticism due to the nature of Title IX – which prohibits sex-based discrimination within schools and universities – and Beamer’s animated reaction to the situation isn’t a good look for the second-year Gamecocks coach.

Beamer commented on the incident following the victory, noting that it was all just a misunderstanding between him and the game day operations.

Shane Beamer’s statement

“Before the game, we meet with the officials. The officials say we’re going to try and speed up the game as much as we can coming out of TV timeouts, and we would ask when the TV timeout is over we ask you’re at the line of scrimmage ready to go.

“We had a critical, critical fourth down decision to make on what we were going to do in that instance with whether we’re going to kick or go for it. We decided we were going to go for it. The whole time I’m not paying attention to what’s going on in the end zone. We send our offense out there to go for it. They’re at the line of scrimmage and Georgia sees the formation we’re in. we did what we were asked to do. We were not able to snap the football. I looked down in the end zone, I see why and my first initial reaction was to yell, ‘Get off the field.’

“I had no idea who was down there. I don’t meet with game management before games to clue me in on who’s being honored during a TV time-out or ceremony. We were so immersed on making a decision of what we’re going to do. I didn’t even look down there in the end zone. I was worried about what was going on in our own offensive huddle. I apologize to anyone I offended. That was my initial reaction. It’s similar to a track coach that’s getting ready to run the 100 meters and sees someone on the track. That was my reaction as well. I apologize. I know game management at Carolina has a tough job and a lot of moving parts.

“I’m sure they feel they could be better in that situation in regards of when and how we honored those female student-athletes and, more importantly, how we got them off the field a lot quicker than we were able to when the ceremony was over. That was a critical play in the game. I apologize and didn’t mean to offend anyone.

“I hope people know me well enough to know what an advocate I am for women’s sports. I have two daughters of my own who play women’s sports. I’m at as many women’s athletic events here at Carolina I can possibly be because I believe in them and support them. Anyone that thinks otherwise surely doesn’t know me. Sorry about that.”