|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by WILL FOLKS
***
Long-suffering fans of the University of South Carolina’s chronically mediocre athletic programs like to say they “bleed garnet and black,” a reference to the school’s official colors. Taken from the distinctive feathers of the school’s mascot, the fighting Gamecock, garnet and black have been synonymous with South Carolina athletics for decades – historic hues that have become ingrained in the fan base’s collective psyche.
For better or worse…
That’s why it was so jarring for Gamecock fans – most of whom were excited about the school’s switch to Nike as its official apparel provider – to see an unfamiliar color accompanying the rollout of the new officially licensed gear.
That color? Crimson... which for those of you keeping score at home is not garnet. And is closely associated with another Southeastern Conference program.
Beat writer Jordan Kaye of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper wrote off the discrepancy as a difference in the “shade of garnet used by Nike,” only to later acknowledge the color wasn’t really garnet at all.
According to Kaye, Nike appears to have assigned South Carolina to “Team Crimson,” one of four distinct reddish hues available in its customizable color palate – along with “Team Maroon,” “Team Cardinal” and “Team Scarlet.”
***
***
“(Nike) probably matched South Carolina with the team – and color – it thought was closest to South Carolina’s official garnet,” Kaye noted, seeming to imply this color shift was no big deal.
“South Carolina’s colors have gone through slight tweaks in the past,” Kaye added. “This is nothing new. And if you stand around the Nike merchandise long enough, you’ll convince yourself it looks like it came from another school, stand there longer and then debate if it even looks that much different.”
Huh?
Many Gamecock fans didn’t need to “stand around the Nike merchandise” for any period of time to conclude that the color crimson – which is intrinsically linked to the University of Alabama – was a nonstarter.
“It’s too red,” one program observer told us. “Carolina garnet has an actual color code. Like Tennessee orange, etc. It’s not that hard to match. For all the hype the university put out over Nike, I’ve been very underwhelmed.”
“Today I own zero crimson merch, tomorrow I will own zero crimson merch, never will I own crimson merch,” one fan wrote on X.
“If the school matters you change the color,” another noted, an observation consistent with our assessment of the situation.
***
Memo to @Nike: you change the color to match the school, not the school (@GamecocksOnline) to match the color. Come on… do better! ????? pic.twitter.com/ZY23nqBFby
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) July 2, 2026
***
Gamecock athletic officials breathlessly touted South Carolina’s entry into the Nike family as “the official start of a new era for Gamecock Nation, one that is fueled by tradition, momentum and one of the most passionate fan bases in college sports.”
Except the launch completely ditched tradition, ignored a troubling lack of momentum and likely confused passion for… something else.
South Carolina is entering a make-or-break season on the gridiron – and also on the men’s hardwood. Additionally, the program is on its fourth attempt at finding a competent baseball coach following the ill-considered transition of Ray Tanner from that role to the position of athletics director in 2012.
As if all of that wasn’t sufficiently challenging, now the school must seek to claw its way back to relevance… using Alabama’s colors.
Off-color? Yes. But sadly, the color crisis is decidedly on-brand for a school still struggling to establish its athletic identity more than two centuries after its founding.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
SOUND OFF…
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
