TheBigSpur.com: Why we teamed up with On3 and GamecockCentral

It is an honor to bring TheBigSpur.com and Inside The Gamecocks to On3 and to join forces with GamecockCentral.



When I departed The Big Spur Media Group — and thus TBS — as a partner this past New Year’s Eve, all I knew was that I was not done in the website space. I wanted whatever I did next to be a superior product to what I had done in the past. During that time, I considered multiple opportunities, different partners, brands, structures and networks.

In the end, I felt this was the best opportunity for what matters most — all of you.

Since founding TBS in 2007, my goal was simple: to create the ultimate online community and information hub for Gamecock fans. I believe that in many ways, TBS versions 1.0 (as an ESPN affiliate from 2007–2010) and 2.0 (on 247Sports from 2010–2026) served the fanbase well and became a place that felt like family to many. From afar, I admired what On3 was building and felt the network truly cared about this institution and this fanbase. You could see it.

So when the opportunity was presented to combine two of the best online communities in college sports (that just so happen to be in the same market) and together be a part of the On3 brand that creates the most value for college sports fans, in particular South Carolina Gamecock fans — it was an obvious answer.

And it was also the right choice for me. My roots are planted professionally with people — specifically the people who have believed in me and presented the opportunities that have shaped the career I’ve had. This opportunity aligns perfectly with that belief.

Join Today for $1 from now until preseason football camp starts

Shannon Terry is one of those people. I have worked with Shannon both within the corporate office structure at Rivals and 247Sports, as a team site publisher at 247Sports, and now here at On3 with this new partnership. Being aligned with what he is building has always been a goal of mine, and I could not be happier to be back on his team. I would also like to mention On3 CFO Andy Johnson and Network Officer Joel Cox, who believed in this deal and helped bring it to the finish line. Both of those guys are rock stars in this business and have always believed in me, which has been invaluable over the years.



Brian Shoemaker is one of the iconic publishers in our business. Had it not been for the work he put in here at GamecockCentral in the early days when I was still working in newspapers, I’m not sure I would have pursued that first job at Rivals. A funny story: I had my first interview the day Steve Spurrier was announced as the head football coach at South Carolina, way back in November of 2004. Of course, I was glued to this site the entire day. Brian and I had a fantastic working relationship from 2004–2007 before I left to start TBS with ESPN. We spent the next 18 years competing, and now we’re back on the same side. I am thankful that we no longer have to compete because he’s ridiculously hard to compete against! I am looking forward to working with Brian, have a deep respect for him, and consider myself fortunate to be able to learn from him.



It’s great to be working with Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell again. You won’t find two better human beings in this business who work as hard and have such great connections. We all used to work together at TBS, and frankly, I’ve missed those guys! It’s also exciting to be aligned with emerging talented voices in our market like Kevin Miller and Jack Veltri, and to be on the same team as the best photographer in our market, Katie Dugan, along with the rest of the Gamecock Central crew.

By the way, in case you are wondering, this is not a competitive situation with TBS and Central. It’s one subscription, and you get all of it. I will post on The Insiders Forum. Chris, Wes, and others will post on Plano’s PPG. You will see my byline on both the Gamecock Central tab and the TBS tab. We believe this creates maximum value for the fan.

Speaking of value, I know Gamecock fans love a great deal, so I wanted to pack as much value as possible into our membership product. And we have quite a deal for you right now: Join today for just $1 until preseason football camp in August. 

That gets you the best Gamecock coverage, discussion and analysis from two iconic brands and trusted insiders for a buck during the following…

-The forthcoming baseball coaching search and the aftermath of the hire, including staff build out and transfer portal and other recruiting activity

-The red hot June football recruiting visit period and the subsequent “commit-a-rama” aftermath in July.

-SEC Media Days

-Offseason workout and preseason football tidbits leading you right up until the Gamecocks put the pads on.

Also during that time, you can enjoy…

-The On3 national college football team’s coverage including Pete Nakos, Chris Low, Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger, Brett McMurphy and more.

-The On3 national recruiting coverage from trusted and known names in the South Carolina market like Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong.

-The best in other Gamecock-adjacent markets you are interested in.

-News to your phone on the On3 app

GET IN ON THIS RED HOT DEAL NOW

I am also thankful to continue partnering with Jamie Bradford on this as we bring over not only TBS, but Inside The Gamecocks and the Chief Sports Network. Both of those entities are going to be fully integrated with our “Central” hub here. JB and I have tremendous alignment when it comes to the vision for what we want to accomplish in the South Carolina market. There is nobody else I even considered partnering with for this version of TBS. We also have Matt Anderson, Rob Williams, and The Mad Dog Phil Mullinax along for the ride. You will be hearing plenty from them moving forward. 



As for my former colleagues on 247Sports, I wish them nothing but the best. They were tremendous for many years, and I consider them friends and I will never have anything bad to say about them. We all enjoyed a great run together and I wish them the best as they move forward with the corporate Gamecock site and community on the 247Sports platform.

I was only out four months, but it seemed like longer than that. I am downright excited. I’m excited about the people. I’m excited about the product. And I’m excited about getting back to the work I’ve done for 20 years and am blessed to continue doing.

This is going to be a great ride. I’ve missed y’all.