EDITORIAL: Stick to real business

When this session of the S.C. General Assembly finally ends, there will certainly be plenty of leftover business legislators couldn't manage to finish. Much of that will involve issues vital to the state's future: government restructuring, budgets, education issues, the list goes on.

The list of important issues won't include college football schedules, but our lawmakers will be considering that issue as they wade through the pros and cons of abolishing the Budget and Control Board and the Department of Transportation Commission, or changing the state's employee pension plan, which will impact thousands of state workers.

Rep. Nathan Ballentine, a Republican from Lexington, has introduced a bill that would require the University of South Carolina and Clemson to play each other in football every year.

No, we aren't kidding. A House panel is scheduled to discuss it today.

So much for the call for limited government.

With college conferences realigning and growing, there will be fewer non-conference games for both schools. And some big-time rivalries such as Texas and Texas A&M, and Nebraska and Missouri, have dissolved as teams have moved to other conferences.

"No one wants to see that happen here to our two universities where families enjoy the annual game, and it's great for our economy," Ballentine told The State newspaper.

But to legislate a football game is absurd.

Ballentine said he contacted the schools about his bill, but they didn't respond.

Officials at both schools agree and told the newspaper they don't need help from the legislature setting their football schedules. We bet they had a good chuckle over the notion.

Ballentine did do his homework on the issue. The 103-year-old consecutive match-up between the teams is college football's second longest. And there is precedent for the General Assembly meddling into football schedules. He told The State that in 1952 the schools only played each other because the General Assembly stepped in and required it. That year Clemson was banned from playing any other Southern Conference team. Both USC and Clemson were part of that conference.

Sixty-year-old precedent or not, our legislators need to stick to issues facing this state. There isn't time to dilly-dally over a football game.