Ballentine Proposes Law to Keep Carolina-Clemson Rivalry Going
Rep. Nathan Ballentine introduced a bill that would require USC and Clemson football teams to play annually
A South Carolina lawmaker has proposed a bill to require the University of South Carolina and Clemson University football teams play each other annually, according to a report from The State.
Bill H.4525 was introduced in the House on Jan. 10 by Rep. Nathan Ballentine, R-Chapin, in an effort to keep the 103-year-old rivlary going despite the addition of teams to the Southeastern Conference, which Carolina belongs to, and the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is home to Clemson.
According to the report, Ballentine said he wants to make sure the game continues even with all the conference realignments.
College officials from both universities say no legislation is needed.
The bill currently resides in the Education and Public Works House Committee.
Patch wants to know what do you think about the bill. Should the bill pass? Should legislators get involved in the scheduling of collegiate sports?
Take our poll and tell us in the comments section why you chose your answer.
Jonathan Allen
1:38 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
To me this surpasses the normal insanity of South Carolina politics and puts us in new, uncharted territory in an absurdly surreal, Kafka-esque alternate reality where our lawmakers have apparently solved every other problem in the state and are filing bills simply out of boredom.
Greg Hambrick
2:17 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
A law mandating Junior Mints in movie theaters. Now that would be a bill I could support.
Tony
2:31 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Do these lawmakers have nothing better to do than to worry about a football rivalry? I don't want to see it end either, but quit wasting time and money. Why not create legislation to get those damn mopeds off the road, or maybe do something about education?
Mike Buddin
3:06 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
This is our Politicians at their best, passing meaningless laws instead of taking care of the Citizens of our Great State. We can be sure to make the HEADLINE NEWS with this one. We have folks out here struggling to make it while our Politicians are sitting up there getting paid to pass laws like this. If they had to really work for a change and pay the Health Insurance and have no Pension I bet they would get busy taking care of the State.
Shawn Drury
3:45 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Now it's really a great day in South Carolina.
stanley seigler
7:15 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
@Tony
re: "Do these lawmakers have nothing better to do...maybe do something about education?"
makes as much sense as voter ID laws...so much could be done to provide a quality education...SC could become the leader...
maybe a GI bill for all...a great investment...would attract top students...or make SC and clemson the equivalent to harvard and mit...legislators have no vision...
make the SC coast the equivalent to silicon valley...
Cold War Vet
7:15 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
It's utterly stupid and sad that our worthless elected officials waste time and money introducing mandates for two in-state college footballs teams to play each other every year.
Chelsy Abraham
9:49 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
South Carolina-you never cease to amaze me on what you choose to do politically. I cannot believe of all of the things that a bill could be recommended on, this is what our representatives choose. Why do we want go on and introduce a bill mandating if the University of South Carolina should be called USC, Carolina, or S. Carolina?
SaltyDawg
1:43 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Ballentine ought to resign. On the bright side-- except for wasting time and money-- this bill isn't really detrimental. That's in sharp contrast to most of the SCGOP legislative agenda, especially the voter suppression bill.