September 14, 2002

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In a whirlwind day of events, the South Carolina – Bowling Green football game scheduled for this Saturday in Columbia, was cancelled. Bowling Green athletics director Paul Krebs notified USC athletics director Mike McGee shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday that the Falcon team had decided not to travel to Columbia this weekend of the game, in light of the terrorist activities which took place Tuesday in New York City and Washington, D.C. Later in the day, the Southeastern Conference presidents opted to cancel all football games scheduled for this weekend.

USC is presently exploring the option of playing on Nov. 3, which right now is the team’s open date weekend. It is undetermined at this time who the opponent will be. Bowling Green plays that Saturday against Miami of Ohio, so another opponent could be lined up.

Fans and USC students need to retain their tickets for the Bowling Green game and those tickets will be honored for the game that is rescheduled.

Mike McGee, director of athletics, said while USC was disappointed there would be no game this weekend, the department had full respect for Bowling Green1s decision to not travel. “Bowling Green had indicated concerns their players and their players’ families had regarding traveling to Columbia this weekend,” said McGee. “We had actually made some arrangements for them to charter down here in the event their charter wasn’t going to be available. However, they made it evident that they were not totally comfortable in flying down here and we certainly respect their decision.”

McGee said that Nov. 3 was the only viable option for USC to reschedule a game and that the team didn’t want to schedule a game the week after its regular season finale against Clemson on Nov. 17

McGee also said that the athletics department had gone to great measures to assure the safety of the fans who would have attended this Saturday’s game at Williams-Brice Stadium. There was going to be an increase in the volume of law enforcement personnel and parking restrictions on stadium property would have been enforced. The department had also planned a special pregame ceremony in recognition of those who had lost their lives in the terrorist attack this past Tuesday and in tribute of those who had sacrificed so valiantly their lives in an attempt to save others. Both teams were to have walked onto the field, there would have been a pregame prayer and moment of silence, and then fans would have been asked to join hands and sing “God Bless America.” There was not going to be the regular pregame entry of “2001.”