What a night spring game means for South Carolina recruiting
There are a ton of things South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer has to worry about on a daily basis. But there is always one thing on his mind: recruiting.
So when Ray Tanner and Chance Miller texted him about playing the Gamecocks’ spring game at night for the second straight year, all he sent back was, “Yep,” and the rest is history.
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Part of it is players and fans certainly enjoy playing under the lights and it adds an extra wrinkle to what is at its core practice. But another part folds into recruiting with prospects seeing a night atmosphere at Williams-Brice in a somewhat laid-back environment.
“I thought it was great last year,” Beamer said. “I like it from a recruiting standpoint because you get all day to visit with recruits. And I know our players like it being under the lights.”
The Gamecocks’ spring game kicks off this year at 7 p.m. It’s a chance for South Carolina to host recruits essentially all day and visit with them from the time they get on campus until the time they leave.
Recruits can roll in sometime in the late morning or early afternoon. They’ll stay through the rest of the night as the spring game wraps. If the game were earlier in the day, prospects likely would be on campus for far less time.
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“We’re all hands on deck here for the spring game where we have more time in the afternoon to spend more time with them,” Beamer said. “It’s more of a looser environment cause you’re not getting ready to play another team. From that standpoint it’s great to spend more time with them, let them see the atmosphere out there and make it fun for all those guys.”
Beamer and his staff also get to spend all of that time with the players visiting. If they were visiting for a regular season game, Beamer and his assistants would be spending most of their time prepping for a game.
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Instead, they’re at the facility with prospects before making their way over to Williams-Brice for the game.
“It’s looser from a recruiting standpoint. You have more time. If it’s a home game, I’m sitting at the team hotel in a room by myself all day until we arrive at the stadium,” Beamer said. “For the spring game, if we have guys coming in at lunchtime we can spend the day with them at the football facility. During the season we’re at the hotel with the team. I am and the assistant coaches are back and forth.”
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South Carolina kicks off at 7 p.m. and hoping for another big crowd on hand.
It’s the headliner of Big Gamecock Weekend. Events include a Cocky Trot 5K, beach volleyball matches against FGCU and Coastal Carolina along with other fan festivities.
There will also be a pregame concert beginning at 3:30 p.m. featuring Patrick Davis and His Midnight Choir. Jesse Isley, Lauren Jenkins, Michael Haney and Blake Weinbach will also perform.
There will be pregame food trucks–including Carolina Cookin, 365 Grillin and Seafood and Truly Scrumptious Creamery–and postgame fireworks.
“I know our atmosphere will be awesome on Saturday. And compared to a lot of other schools we’ll have more people in the stands than some other schools as well,” Beamer said. “Making sure those high school prospects know it’s not like this everywhere. Gamecock Nation and Williams-Brice Stadium are special. We don’t take that for granted and don’t want recruits to either the support we have here.”
