Toggle sidebar

Would you support naming rights for Williams-Brice?

18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

Heisman
Oct 1, 2014
18,986
15,934
113
This is the new trend in college sports, Missouri being the latest team to make the move. My gut reaction is "no". But I guess I really don't care. Revenue is the name of the game now. It's all that matters.

I like the tradition of college football, but we don't really have much. It's not like renaming Bryant-Denny. We've never been able to establish much in the way of tradition. Have never been able to settle on a uniform combination. We had a good, traditional fight song until that bozo decided our football team needed to have a Broadway showtune (we may be the only college football team in the nation that has a Broadway showtune as our fight song).

In light of our overall lack of tradition and the push for revenue, I guess I'm ok with it. I'm not sure we'd be much of a draw for a partner in that way, though.
 
G

Gradstudent_rivals30147

Sophomore
Feb 11, 2006
92
151
33
I think a name change to the stadium in today's college football

 
  • Like
Reactions: Cockofdawn and Harvard Gamecock
18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

Heisman
Oct 1, 2014
18,986
15,934
113
Grabby sponsors would be Michelin (North American headquarters in Greenville) and BMW (with their largest manufacturing plant in the world in Greenville). Probably not attainable.

Less grabby, but maybe more appropriate, would be Denny's with their headquarters in Spartanburg. I could see us playing in Denny's Stadium.

Milliken is a multi-billion dollar company and was founded in SC. Name would not be recognized by anyone outside of SC (except for those in the textile industry).
 
G

Gradstudent_rivals30147

Sophomore
Feb 11, 2006
92
151
33
Milliken would be highly doubtful, while they have a strong chemical business, textiles in the US is a very difficult business and just annouced another plant closing and layoff in Jonesville SC, its not there style to sponser things like a stadium.

I could see SC public company like Sonoco $5 billion market cap being a possibility, or even a bank even if its HQ in Charlotte could get involved, given there footprint in SC, for Charlotte you have Bank of Amercia, Truist, Headquatered there. Wells has a large presence in SC even if it its HQ is in SF, its has a history of sponsering stadiums outside of California.
 
P

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
24,745
2,277
113
18IsTheMan said:
Grabby sponsors would be Michelin (North American headquarters in Greenville) and BMW (with their largest manufacturing plant in the world in Greenville). Probably not attainable.

Less grabby, but maybe more appropriate, would be Denny's with their headquarters in Spartanburg. I could see us playing in Denny's Stadium.

Milliken is a multi-billion dollar company and was founded in SC. Name would not be recognized by anyone outside of SC (except for those in the textile industry).
Click to expand...
I think Clemson has some sort of satellite campus at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, so BMW would be unlikely and Michelin is a French company that thinks football is played with a round ball.

I don't have any feel for who might want naming rights. It really isn't like SC football is a major draw outside of the state and Columbia isn't exactly a world class city that brings in fans from all over the world.

Denny's would actually be a pretty natural fit. A restaurant chain that serves very average food with their name over a football program that is the very definition of average.
 
KingWard

KingWard

All-American
Feb 15, 2022
8,263
8,434
113
I don't see how you can rename the stadium when its present name was in consideration of a previous considerable (at the time) monetary contribution. However, you could sell naming rights to the field itself, which I imagine will happen soon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Traildust57 and atl-cock
C

CreekSnake

Freshman
Jan 22, 2024
78
66
18
I think the Edwards Family from Sumter continues as generous donors long after the original naming rights donation was made.
 
Uscg1984

Uscg1984

All-Conference
Mar 9, 2006
2,391
3,150
113
I am not a fan of corporate naming rights for stadiums, so I hope they don't.

Having said that, it does perhaps seem inevitable. I would think Michelin would be a strong candidate despite their other associations with Clemson. If BMW were interested in stadium naming rights, I would assume they would choose an NFL venue to counter Mercedes' sponsorship of the dome in Atlanta. Boeing might also be a possibility for Williams-Brice.

I don't think the pool of candidates would be limited to SC, however. As an SEC stadium with a fair number of nationally televised games each season, some in primetime, I think you could shop the naming rights around the country.
 
atl-cock

atl-cock

All-Conference
Jan 18, 2022
3,050
1,583
113
KingWard said:
I don't see how you can rename the stadium when its present name was in consideration of a previous considerable (at the time) monetary contribution. However, you could sell naming rights to the field itself, which I imagine will happen soon.
Click to expand...
Thanks - I was going to comment on that. USC "sold" the naming rights circa 1972.
 
18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

Heisman
Oct 1, 2014
18,986
15,934
113
KingWard said:
I don't see how you can rename the stadium when its present name was in consideration of a previous considerable (at the time) monetary contribution. However, you could sell naming rights to the field itself, which I imagine will happen soon.
Click to expand...

From what the USC Athletics site says, Martha Williams-Brice gave $3.2 million to the University on her death. Of that, $500,000 went to the School of Nursing and $2.7 million were designated for stadium renovations. So it sounds like the money was for renovations and the naming was to honor her for the gift.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gpcocks and KingWard
G

Gamecock Jacque

Joined Dec 20, 2020
Jan 30, 2022
5,410
5,059
113
Uscg1984 said:
As an SEC stadium with a fair number of nationally televised games each season, some in primetime, I think you could shop the naming rights around the country.
Click to expand...
There are only two SEC stadiums with naming rights. Unsurprisingly they are the historically bottom two teams. Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Is that where we are now? 🤷‍♂️
 
KingWard

KingWard

All-American
Feb 15, 2022
8,263
8,434
113
Gamecock Jacque said:
There are only two SEC stadiums with naming rights. Unsurprisingly they are the historically bottom two teams. Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Is that where we are now? 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
I would say "yes", but I would also say that this dizzying rush to add cost to college athletics will force everyone's hand if things keep going as they are. Both out basketball arena and baseball stadium are named for companies. We'll be trolling for even more money when those deals expire - if we can get it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 18IsTheMan
R

RL09

Senior
Dec 29, 2025
478
554
93
18IsTheMan said:
Grabby sponsors would be Michelin (North American headquarters in Greenville) and BMW (with their largest manufacturing plant in the world in Greenville). Probably not attainable.

Less grabby, but maybe more appropriate, would be Denny's with their headquarters in Spartanburg. I could see us playing in Denny's Stadium.

Milliken is a multi-billion dollar company and was founded in SC. Name would not be recognized by anyone outside of SC (except for those in the textile industry).
Click to expand...
Either Michelin or BMW would be cool
 
R

RL09

Senior
Dec 29, 2025
478
554
93
KingWard said:
I would say "yes", but I would also say that this dizzying rush to add cost to college athletics will force everyone's hand if things keep going as they are. Both out basketball arena and baseball stadium are named for companies. We'll be trolling for even more money when those deals expire - if we can get it.
Click to expand...
I agree, it's almost inevitable, schools will be exploring all sorts of ways to generate revenue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KingWard
R

RL09

Senior
Dec 29, 2025
478
554
93
with the renovation of WB taking place now and the beatification of grounds around it, I can see naming rights for the stadium in the not-too-distant future.
 
GamecockPapa

GamecockPapa

Senior
Dec 30, 2023
167
543
93
18IsTheMan said:
From what the USC Athletics site says, Martha Williams-Brice gave $3.2 million to the University on her death. Of that, $500,000 went to the School of Nursing and $2.7 million were designated for stadium renovations. So it sounds like the money was for renovations and the naming was to honor her for the gift.
Click to expand...
Today the $3.2 million in 1972 is equal to $25 million - if any company wants to give a gift of equal valve based on reality - then change the name but I just don’t see either happening
 
  • Like
Reactions: vacock
C

Cockofdawn

Junior
Aug 16, 2009
484
293
63
Not sure any MAJOR corporation would want their name on this dumpster fire, EXCEPT maybe WM? (Waste Management)
 
  • Haha
Reactions: USCEE82
P

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
24,745
2,277
113
RL09 said:
with the renovation of WB taking place now and the beatification of grounds around it, I can see naming rights for the stadium in the not-too-distant future.
Click to expand...
I didn't realize the grounds were 2/3rds of the way to sainthood.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vacock
Sleepyhead

Sleepyhead

Junior
Jul 23, 2023
446
347
63
18IsTheMan said:
From what the USC Athletics site says, Martha Williams-Brice gave $3.2 million to the University on her death. Of that, $500,000 went to the School of Nursing and $2.7 million were designated for stadium renovations. So it sounds like the money was for renovations and the naming was to honor her for the gift.
Click to expand...
I would like it not to change for that reason but it’s looking like naming rights is inevitable for most schools at this point. They may make it Williams-Brice Field at (insert company) Stadium.
 
vacock

vacock

Joined Oct 26, 1998 • Garnet Trust Supporter
Jan 20, 2022
7,926
11,057
113
If the money helps us win a CFP, then yes. Ha
 
18IsTheMan

18IsTheMan

Heisman
Oct 1, 2014
18,986
15,934
113
KingWard said:
She might if our maladroit administration had not alienated her several years back.
Click to expand...

When a school becomes competitive on the national stage and contends for/wins titles, it boosts the overall profile of the school academically. Typically see a large increases in out-of-state applications/enrollment.

I read an article a while back about the way Saban's success at Bama wildly impacted the University overall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vacock
P

Psycock

Joined Jan 20, 2001
Jan 29, 2022
960
1,036
93
I am - it’s a shame they don’t show the old black & white shorts anymore. Of course some of it wouldn’t be acceptable today but showed kids of different races getting along & just getting into kiddie mischief. But of course it’s ok for our kids to see plenty of sexual perversion being promoted & now they can skip school to degrade law enforcement! Bring back the Little Rascals!
 
  • Like
Reactions: vacock
G

Gamecock Jacque

Joined Dec 20, 2020
Jan 30, 2022
5,410
5,059
113
Sidney Kibrick, who played the character "Woim" (the sidekick to bully Butch) in Our Gang from 1933 to 1939, was the last surviving featured cast member. Kibrick passed away on January 2, 2026, at the age of 97 in Northridge, California.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom