Clemson’s Lee prefers neutral site game vs. Gamecocks played in Greenville

Tigers’ coach feels it’s a little more fair for both schools

CLEMSON, S.C. — Monte Lee says his Clemson Tigers will play South Carolina wherever the two administrations agree to play their neutral site game going forward.

“I don’t really get involved in that. They are not going to listen to me anyway,” Clemson’s head coach said after the Tigers completed their three-game sweep of the Gamecocks with a 5-2 victory Sunday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. “So, it is going to be up to them to look at it and try to make a decision as to what they think.”

The four-year contract, which had the second game of the three-game series alternating between Greenville’s Fluor Field and Columbia’s Segra Park, is now up for renegotiations.

Though Lee does not have a say about where Clemson’s athletic director Graham Neff and South Carolina’s Ray Tanner agree to play the game going forward, he did give his opinion on the matter.

“I would love to have it in Greenville. With it being in Greenville, from a travel perspective, it is a little more fair on both sides to do it in Greenville,” he said.

Though Clemson beat the Gamecocks, 10-2, at Segra Park in Columbia on Saturday, the Tigers had to bus two hours and 10-minutes to Columbia on Friday to play at USC’s Founders Park in Game 1. They then stayed in Columbia for Game 2 at Segra Park. After the game they bused the two-hour and 10-minutes back to Clemson for Game 3 on Sunday.

Considering Game 1 and Game 2 of the series were played in Columbia, the Gamecocks more than likely prefer to play the neutral site game in Columbia. They only have to make one bus trip when the neutral site game is played in Columbia.

When the series comes to Fluor Field in Greenville, Lee points out it is more convenient for both teams.

If Game 1 is played in Clemson, South Carolina makes its normal trip Clemson and then spends the night in Clemson after the game. The next morning both teams travel the 45 minutes to Greenville for Game 2. Clemson will spend the night in Greenville when it is over, South Carolina heads back to Columbia. On Sunday, Clemson gets up and makes the hour and 15-minute drive to Columbia for Game 3.

When Game 1 is in Columbia, Clemson makes the two hour-and-10-minute bus ride to Columbia, stays in Columbia that night and then makes the hour-and-15-minute drive to Greenville on Saturday morning. The Gamecocks make the same hour-and-15-minute trip on Saturday and stays the night in Greenville before getting up on Sunday and making the 45-minute trip from Greenville to Clemson for Game 3.

Clemson, of course, makes the same 45-minute trip back home after the Saturday game.

“So, from a travel perspective, it is pretty dang good when it is in Greenville,” Lee said. “That being said, the people in Columbia have treated us great. We had a great Clemson following yesterday at Segra Park. So, it has been great there, too.”

The Tigers and Gamecocks played at Segra Park in 2020 and this past Saturday. The two split the two meetings there. The two rivals have also split the 10 meetings at Fluor Field, with the Gamecocks winning there last year, 3-2.

“We played it in Greenville. It is unbelievable in Greenville,” Lee said. “We played it in Columbia. It was a great environment in Columbia. I am going to leave that up with the administrators.”

Since the two rivals started the current three-game format, USC has won seven of the thirteen games played on neutral fields. In 2012, the Tigers and Gamecocks played at Charleston’s Riley Jr. Park. South Carolina won that game, 3-2, in 11 innings.

“We are going to play the series wherever they decide to play it,” Lee said. “It is up to the administrators to make those types of decisions. We will play the Gamecocks wherever the two administrations decide is the best place for us to play it.”

But Lee will not mind at all if it is played in Greenville from here on out.