Palmetto Bowl Kickoff Time Set for 2025 Clash Between Clemson and South Carolina
The annual football rivalry game between Clemson University and the University of South Carolina is scheduled for , with a kickoff time of noon, the schools announced Wednesday. The game will be played at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
The matchup, often referred to as the Palmetto Bowl, will be broadcast on either ABC or ESPN. This is the third time in four years the game will begin at noon, also occurring in at Clemson and at Clemson.
The Clemson-South Carolina rivalry dates back to , and has been played every year since – one of the longest uninterrupted rivalries in college football. Until , the game was traditionally played during the State Fair in Columbia on “Big Thursday,” a state holiday. Since , the schools have alternated hosting the game on Saturdays.
Last year’s contest, played on , saw South Carolina emerge victorious with a 17-14 win at Memorial Stadium in Clemson. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers delivered an all-time performance for the Gamecocks, securing their second consecutive road win against Clemson. Clemson had previously won the meeting in Columbia in .
The 2025 game is already generating excitement, with both teams returning their starting quarterbacks – Cade Klubnik for Clemson and LaNorris Sellers for South Carolina. Both programs enjoyed successful seasons in , combining for 19 wins.
As of May , Clemson and South Carolina were ranked No. 2 and No. 13, respectively, in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. Clemson competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), while South Carolina plays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Clemson currently leads the all-time series 73-45-4, but South Carolina has won two of the last three matchups. The 2025 game will mark the 121st meeting between the two rivals. The rivalry extends beyond the football field, encompassing more than a dozen athletic head-to-head matchups each year as part of the Palmetto Series, which South Carolina won in the 2024-2025 series, 7-4.
The annual football game is widely considered the most important sporting event in the state of South Carolina. The two institutions, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, are the largest universities in the state and are located approximately 60 miles apart.
