Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Gamecocks+

March 17, 2008

The first-ever Gridiron BashTM has launched the text component of its Ultimate Fan CompetitionTM, enabling fans of the University of South Carolina to text in votes and increase the chances that USC will split the $1.75 million being given to General Scholarship Funds. Votes can be placed by texting USC to 23909.

Tied to spring football games and including pep rallies and live concerts at football stadiums with nationally known names, the Gridiron BashTM fan competition – being billed as the USA TODAY Bash for Cash SeriesTM – will be based 70% on fan attendance at Gridiron BashTM events (all except for three Gridiron Bash events are being held April 18th, the Friday before spring games) and 30% on text in votes. The roster of participating schools with performing artist match-ups has been finalized and includes: Penn State-Fergie; Iowa-Kelly Clarkson; Utah-Maroon 5; Alabama-Alan Jackson; Colorado-Counting Crows; Texas A&M-ZZ Top; LSU-Kid Rock and Sara Evans; Kansas Sate-Goo Goo Dolls; Tennessee-Taylor Swift and Montgomery Gentry; Maryland-(talent to be announced soon); West Virginia (also announcing talent soon); Arizona State-3 Doors Down; Kentucky-Dierks Bentley & Wynonna; Army-John Legend; Rutgers-Fall Out Boy, and Colorado State (announcing talent soon).

Daily school standings are being posted on www.gridironbash.com. The website also features “talk’n smack” video being taken as the Gridiron BashTM RV tour hits each competing campus and listens to fans talking about their rivaling schools. Results are also being displayed in weekly national advertisements in both the Sports and Life sections of USA Today.

“In the last week that we’ve had our text-in component of the fan competition up and running, we’ve seen dramatic shifts in the number of text-in votes each school is receiving. It’s getting pretty exciting,” says Shawn Garrity, president of MSL Sports and Entertainment, creators and producers of Gridiron BashTM. “The fun, the spirit, the talking smack between schools….that’s what this is all about.”