South-Carolina

Shane Beamer reveals DirecTV dispute, wife played role in learning College GameDay was coming to South Carolina

Published

2 years ago

September 9, 2024

Shane Beamer reveals DirecTV dispute, wife played role in learning College GameDay was coming to South Carolina

Shane Beamer recaps South Carolina’s Week 2 win over Kentucky

College GameDay is headed to Columbia for a matchup between South Carolina and LSU in Week 3, and Shane Beamer learned the news in a unique way. The Gamecocks coach revealed in his Sunday conference call that it was his wife, Emily, who first made him aware of the news.

Beamer was on a flight home after a 31-6 win against Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday when his wide first made him aware that the show might be coming to South Carolina. He later confirmed in just before he touched down back home.

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“I was on the plane and my wife had talked to somebody that knew somebody that knew somebody,” the coach said. “One of those type things. She said, ‘I think you’re getting GameDay.’ I’m like, ‘huh? You think that or you know that?’ She kind of told me what she had heard. I found out as we were getting ready for land. I pulled my phone out of my bag and we hadn’t even hit the ground yet. I was trying to find scores of some conference games because this freaking ABC or DirecTV and Disney dispute is killing me.

“We fly Delta and they’ve got DirecTV, so I couldn’t watch any of the games on the TV on the back of the seat. I really didn’t want to log into WiFi and all that stuff. So I was watching the NBC we could pick up. We need to get this DirecTV dispute figured out, please. As I picked up my phone, I was scrolling through social media and it came up before we hit the ground, So right before we landed is when I found out.”

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This marks the first time in a decade that College GameDay will make a trip to Columbia. Beamer has been the coach of the Gamecocks since 2021 and compiled a 22-18 record in that span.

For Beamer, it is his first experience since he was an assistant coach with the Gamecocks in 2010. Now that he gets to take on the environment as a head coach, he’s eager to experience it all over again.

“Excited,” Beamer said. “I think they wouldn’t be coming if they didn’t know what our fan base is about and how excited our fan base will be to have them here. Excited to welcome GameDay here. It will be awesome and pretty cool to have them here.

“I remember as an assistant coach back in 2010 when GameDay came before we played Alabama. I remember finding out. I took a break for lunch. I think we had an off week the week before. Ran over to Subway and I found out my wife called me in and told me GameDay was coming back in 2010. There was great excitement. There was even more excitement last night when she told me she thought GameDay was coming.”

Kickoff between South Carolina and LSU is set for noon ET on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Shane Beamer discusses impact College GameDay will have on recruiting

Beamer is hopeful that hosting College GameDay can be an opportunity for South Carolina to host recruits in a big-time atmosphere. The Gamecocks brought in the No. 10 class in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking and will hope to get those numbers up soon.

“It’ll be huge,” Beamer said of hosting College Gameday. “Certainly we had a lot of recruits that were already planning on coming to this game regardless. That’s the great thing about yesterday. No disrespect to Notre Dame-Northern Illinois or Iowa-Iowa State, but I think those were really the only other two games on yesterday because I think ESPN had the U.S. Open tennis going on yesterday. So there wasn’t a lot of options at 3:30 to watch college football yesterday, so there were a lot of eyes on us. After that game, there was already a lot of interest from recruits wanting to come to this game on Saturday, and certainly after yesterday there is a lot more that want to be here on Saturday.

“It’ll be a great showcase for our program, our university, for the city of Columbia, for our fan base. So it’ll be great from a recruiting standpoint. We need to go play well. But also, the way I look at it is this will hopefully be the first of many, many times that GameDay is here as long as I’m the head coach at South Carolina.”

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South-Carolina

CNN names Greenville in Top 3 best towns to visit in America in 2026

Published

19 minutes ago

July 3, 2026

Press Room

CNN names Greenville in Top 3 best towns to visit in America in 2026

CNN Travel ranked Greenville, South Carolina, as the No. 3 best town to visit in America in 2026.
The city has undergone a significant revitalization since the 1980s, transforming its downtown from an industrial hub into a vibrant center.
Key attractions highlighted by CNN include the Swamp Rabbit Trail, Falls Park on the Reedy, and the city’s growing dining scene.
Despite its growth, some historic structures were lost during the city’s transformation.

Residents who live in Greenville know it’s a gem that shines brightly among other top cities in the U.S.

Word about the mid-size city is spreading with CNN Travel ranking it No. 3 on its list of best towns to visit in America in 2026. The only other cities ahead of it were Sarasota, Florida at No.1 followed by New Haven, Connecticut.

And CNN had a lot to say about Greenville’s southern charm and vibrant downtown.

“Greenville’s got a Main Street that lives up to its name, at the heart of a lively downtown connected to other parts of the city by the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 28-mile pedestrian and bike network lined with parks and local businesses,” said CNN.

Those new to the area may be enjoying all that it now has to offer, but much has changed since the 80s. Here’s how far the city has come and other aspects that make it special, according to CNN.

Greenville’s transformation ‘decades-in-the-making’

Compared to other cities, Greenville’s downtown feels safe, a description worlds away from what it once was. Russell Stall, executive director of the Greenville County Historical Society, told CNN the area currently known as Fall Parks used to be a place of prostitution and drug use. When Greenville was known as the “Textile Capital of the World,” its industrial hub for cotton mills and manufacturing were powered by the Reedy River in the late 19th and 20th centuries. As a result, dyes and chemicals polluted the river’s waters, hence the nickname the “Rainbow Reedy.” What remains of the era are a few former mill house loft apartments. In the 1990s, the city’s mills began to shutter.

Stall called downtown’s uplift “one of the most significant revitalizations in the history of the city,” referencing the Hyatt Hotel, Peace Center, music venues Coach Music Factory and The Mockingbird, and Fluor Field among key precursors of city change.

Although many positives have come with Greenville’s rise, there have been some downfalls, like the loss of the historic City Fall.

“We tore down a lot of the historic structures that we shouldn’t have,” Stall told CNN.

CNN spotlights Greenville’s sights, recreation, dining scene

Often referred to as a “city with a small town feel,” Greenville has a wealth of things to do, so don’t let the saying mislead you. Sightseeing is an activity that doesn’t cost a dime, with CNN highlighting Liberty Bridge and the Falls as two places with amazing views. The Grand Bohemian Lodge was mentioned due to its “rustic wood-and-stone aesthetic,” accessible through Reedy River’s paths.

Other things to do include riding a bike along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, visiting the Greenville Zoo, and exploring the Village of West Greenville, the city’s art district. CNN also spotlighted Michelin-starred restaurant Scoundrel and Chef Joe Cash, a Greenville native with experience in New York and Copenhagen’s restaurants scene.

“You come home and you see, you know, there’s some new restaurants, some fun things to do. Some more interesting, a little more modern, a little less steak and potatoes, a little more farm-to-table,” Cash said. “And so kind of just watching that over the years, it made sense for me to come back.”

CNN’s Top 10 best towns to visit in America 2026

Sarasota (Florida)
New Haven (Connecticut)
Greenville
Bethlehem (Pennysylvania)
Fort Collins (Colorado)
Burlington (Vermont)
Juneau (Alaska)
Iowa City (Iowa)
Lawrence (Kansas)
Roanoke (Virginia)

Nina Tran is the breaking news and education reporter for The Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her via email at ntran@usatodayco.com.

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South-Carolina

Dawn Staley shows off new South Carolina colorway on A’ja Wilson Nike shoes

Published

10 hours ago

July 2, 2026

Press Room

Dawn Staley shows off new South Carolina colorway on A’ja Wilson Nike shoes

COLUMBIA — Coach Dawn Staley gave fans an early look at what’s to come with South Carolina women’s basketball and Nike.

The university officially switched to the brand as its uniform supplier on July 1 after 19 years with Under Armour. This move brings the chance to support A’ja Wilson, a former Gamecocks star who has had her own signature shoe with Nike since May 2025.

In the contract of the Nike agreement, it specifically stated Staley’s team would get Wilson’s shoes, including custom team colors. On July 2, Staley posted photos of the shoes.

While it’s unconfirmed as of now if they are the exact shoes the team will get and wear, the ones Staley posted are garnet, black and white “A’Twos” with Gamecocks logos. One shoe has a black top, the other with white, with matching logos and garnet detail around the base of the shoe.

The bottom of each shoe has Wilson’s logo from her Nike line, in addition to the signature Nike swoosh.

Staley captioned the post, “Why are my feet on fire? Here’s why?!! @GamecockWBB 1 of 1s but are @_ajawilson22 A’Twos!”

Wilson started with her shoes called the “A’One” and then released a second version in May called the A’Twos. South Carolina players can now wear any Nike shoes they want, but the contract specifically mentions the latest version of the A’Twos.

Staley had her own Nike signature shoe released in 1999 called the “Nike Zoom S5.”

“Having been a Nike athlete most of my life, I’m well-versed in what partnership with them means to an organization and its athletes,” Staley said in the July 1 news release. “I am excited that all of our teams at South Carolina will get to feel that, too. For our women’s basketball team, only good things have happened when we’ve partnered with A’ja Wilson, so I look forward to what’s coming next in that legacy.”

Five South Carolina athletes signed signed NIL deals as part of Nike’s new Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program, including women’s basketball stars Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, wide receiver Nyck Harbor and edge rusher Dylan Stewart round out the group of five Gamecocks who are part of the inaugural Blue Ribbon class for South Carolina.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social‬

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