TEG Sport, a global sports and entertainment promotion company, announced on Feb. 23 that it had organized a series of preseason soccer matches between three English Premier League teams 色中色视频� Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
One game is set to be played in Philadelphia, the nation色中色视频檚 fourth-largest market, according to Nielsen's Designated Market Area . Another is set to be played in Los Angeles 色中色视频� the nation色中色视频檚 No. 2 market 色中色视频� at SoFi Stadium, a recently constructed venue that will be home to FIFA World Cup matches in 2026, a Super Bowl in 2027 and the Summer Olympic Games in 2028.
The last destination on the Rivals in Red Tour, however, is not like the others. The final game will be in Columbia, South Carolina 色中色视频� the No. 75 market in the nation 色中色视频� which ranks behind major metropolitan areas, such as New York City and Chicago.
Columbia ultimately landed the match despite competition from other cities because of the passion and 色中色视频減ersonal touch色中色视频� shown by South Carolina fans, athletic department staff and local organizations, said South Carolina Senior Deputy Athletics Director Chance Miller.
The idea for hosting soccer matches first came about during the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller said. At the time, the university was uncertain as to whether football would be played in the fall and was looking for alternative sources of revenue.
Upcoming renovations to Williams-Brice Stadium in addition to a match between another English Premier League club, Chelsea, and Major League Soccer色中色视频檚 Charlotte FC in North Carolina on July 20, 2022, provided Miller and the athletic department with an opportunity to make hosting a major soccer game possible, he said.
色中色视频淲e have some of the greatest facilities in the country,色中色视频� Miller said. 色中色视频淗ow do we take advantage of that when our football team or our basketball team is not playing?色中色视频�
In November, Miller said he began discussions with Hugh Nicholson 色中色视频� the senior vice president of venues and commercial at TEG Sport US, an American subsidiary of TEG Sport 色中色视频� about hosting a major soccer match in Columbia.
Miller said his one request was to have Liverpool and Manchester United be the two teams to play in South Carolina should the city earn the right to host.
色中色视频淚 just told Hugh, 色中色视频業f we色中色视频檙e going to do this, and it色中色视频檚 going to be at a university level, and you色中色视频檙e really trying to blow this thing out to show you can do it in markets like this and at universities ... send me the two most storied programs and clubs,'色中色视频� Miller said. 色中色视频淎nd they did."
Nicholson said Columbia initially intrigued him because it presented an opportunity to go 色中色视频渙utside of the usual box色中色视频� for a match of that nature.
色中色视频淚 felt like this was an opportunity to going and do something different and go into a place, a city, a venue, a community that really embodies the true sports fan,色中色视频� Nicholson said. 色中色视频淭o go into a building like Williams-Brice and a community like Columbia seemed really fitting.色中色视频�
He said Columbia is also in an optimal geographical location since it is within driving distance of Charlotte, Atlanta and Jacksonville.
Miller said he knew its optimal location wouldn't be enough, though, and worked with athletic department staffers to prove Columbia could host such a large event. They created a database system that not only showed how well they could generate interest from 色中色视频 Club members and fans but also other areas of the country, such as Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte and Jacksonville, he said.
University of South Carolina Athletics also hosted multiple site visits, which allowed representatives from both teams to examine the university色中色视频檚 athletic facilities. They attended the South Carolina football team色中色视频檚 game against Kentucky in November, where they witnessed Williams-Brice Stadium色中色视频檚 game-day atmosphere and Sandstorm for the first time. The Kentucky game is ultimately what secured Columbia色中色视频檚 bid for the game, Miller said.
Miller and the athletic department went even further to accommodate some of Liverpool色中色视频檚 representatives by playing traditional game day songs like "You'll Never Walk Alone" while they were exercising, Nicholson said.
Nicholson said the gesture left behind a 色中色视频渟olid impression色中色视频� on those representatives.
色中色视频淚t色中色视频檚 kind of the low-hanging fruit and things that are easy to look past, but that definitely resonated and, 色中色视频榃ow, these people really understand what we色中色视频檙e doing and want to make a good impression,色中色视频櫳猩悠禎 Nicholson said. 色中色视频淭hat kind of stuff goes a long way.色中色视频�
But there were more steps University of South Carolina Athletics and TEG Sport had to take in preparation for the game色中色视频檚 announcement in February. Miller said the two organizations spent time planning details regarding merchandise, sponsorships, revenue-sharing contracts and ticket-pricing models.
And then came the announcement, which received high levels of engagement, Miller said. A series of posts from 色中色视频 Athletics色中色视频� social media accounts gained more than 1 million impressions and 350,000 views, he said.
Gov. Henry McMaster, Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner and President Michael Amiridis also posted about the game on social media, which is something both clubs noted set Columbia apart from other cities hosting Rivals in Red Tour matches, Miller said.
色中色视频淭he two clubs remarked to me on Friday, (Feb. 23) they were so impressed that a governor of the state would send something out like that,色中色视频� Miller said. 色中色视频淭hey said, 色中色视频楽oFi and Philly 色中色视频� they didn色中色视频檛 really do that for us.'色中色视频�
Lexi Boone, the senior assistant general manager at Colonial Life Arena, said he expected that the interest generated from fans and social media users would translate into ticket sales when they were released to the public the following week.
色中色视频淚 thought if we sold 40,000, 45,000 tickets that first day, then that色中色视频檚 a great day. We色中色视频檙e off to the races. We色中色视频檙e going to be good,色中色视频� Boone said. 色中色视频淭he fact that we sold 60,000, or whatever it was, on that first day 色中色视频� it was amazing.色中色视频�
By Tuesday, the match was officially designated a sellout. Nicholson said he hoped that would happen but did not believe it was entirely unexpected, either.
色中色视频淭he 色中色视频 fanbase and alumni network 色中色视频� we really felt that that is the type of school that epitomizes the sports fan and people that would really latch on to this and want to come to be a part of it and be proud that this type of match and content would be coming to their stadium,色中色视频� Nicholson said.
Since then, more preparations have been made, including ways to integrate traditions from South Carolina sporting events to historic staples at Liverpool and Manchester United matches. Miller said the team has also made minor improvements to the visiting locker room at Williams-Brice Stadium to make it look "nicer."
These preparations have been made in an effort to make Columbia an attractive option for international teams, Miller said, as he hopes Williams-Brice Stadium could host international friendlies ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He said he is actively working with South Carolina色中色视频檚 head soccer coaches, Tony Annan and Shelley Smith, and reaching out to their contacts to try making those matches possible.
Miller said a successful execution of the Liverpool-Manchester United game, which will take place on Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m., could help make Columbia a destination for more major sports and entertainment events in the future.
色中色视频淚t色中色视频檚 showing that, as we proceed with a potential development in and around the stadium, that we can do this year-round. It色中色视频檚 not just seven home football games 色中色视频� it色中色视频檚 seven home football games, it色中色视频檚 friendly matches, it色中色视频檚 concerts, it色中色视频檚 events inside and around the stadium,色中色视频� Miller said. 色中色视频淎nd I think that色中色视频檚 going to be good for everybody.色中色视频�