Derrick Law Firm Carolinas Kickoff Clash likely ending after this year

The final installment of the Derrick Law Firm Carolinas Kickoff Clash is likely upon us.

The five-game, 10-team football event, held each of the past four seasons in various forms at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, will probably cease after this year, according to several people tied to the games. And although 151 Sports Marketing’s Mark Stafford is holding out hope of it returning in 2016, the feasibility of continuing may ultimately prevent that.

“The contract that is in place, this is the last year,” Stafford said. “With realignment in South Carolina, I don’t know that we’re going to find anyone to play anymore. With realignment, these teams may only have two or three open weekends to play. They’ll want to play their [rivalry games].

“We just don’t have a lot of people show up. I think we’ve tried to put on a good product. And I think we’re going to put on a good product this weekend.”

The three local teams – Myrtle Beach, Conway and Socastee – will be joined by nearby programs Marlboro County and South Florence. Those five will face off against North Carolina programs South Brunswick, New Hanover, North Brunswick, Southeast Raleigh and Charlotte Christian.

Conway will play North Brunswick on Thursday night; Socastee takes on New Hanover on Friday; the other teams play Saturday, with Charlotte Christian-Myrtle Beach serving as the nightcap and blockbuster game.

Stafford said he’s got five North Carolina teams under contract for next year. What he’s missing so far is a contract with the City of Myrtle Beach, Horry County Schools or Myrtle Beach High School.

Horry County Schools’ Daryl Brown said Monday that while the district held the contract for the first three years of the event, the City of Myrtle Beach took it over this year.

“Our plate’s pretty much full as it is,” Brown said. “As long as the City of Myrtle Beach and Mr. Stafford could work together, we didn’t have a problem with our teams playing in it.”

After this week, it seems as if dissolving the event makes too much sense for everyone involved. Stafford admitted it’s not making enough money, despite more teams and dates.

It has continued to grow from its initial year in 2012. That season, only four teams participated, and they were all from South Carolina. The following year, it took on its North Carolina vs. South Carolina format and doubled in size.

Then last season, a fifth game and an extra day were added. It will remain a three-day program this year, although Thursday and Friday will include just one game and three will take place on Saturday.

However, while it grew, the branding – not to mention getting the average fan to show up – never panned out.

In the last week alone, media outlets on both sides of the state line have called it by the wrong name. The branding issue could partially be due to some changes early. The more likely scenario, though, is the fact that football fans and teams typically don’t care enough to pay to see a team that is not their own.

Scaling back, City Councilman Wayne Gray said, may be more beneficial, especially for the host school, also his alma mater.

“I would think it would not go forward in its current form,” Gray said. “If the city is involved going forward, it may be a single game just around Myrtle Beach.”

Gray floated the idea of playing home-and-home games against nationally known teams or schools. He said getting a television contract for a single game – something that was part of the original discussions with the Carolinas Kickoff Clash (back when it was known as the Surf and Turf Kickoff Clash) – could be easier to attract.

Myrtle Beach coach Mickey Wilson also said it was his preference to sign a home-and-home contract with a perennial powerhouse, and that initial discussions with one school have already begun.

“I think the idea of the games have been great,” Wilson said. “But I think that just the fact of some administrative issues, it will no longer be taking place.

“One of the biggest issues you have with this event, when you have the Beach Ball Classic and teams traveling in, you have 12-15 players traveling in. With football, you’re talking 60-75-80 players. It’s hard for teams that are not close. It’s hard to pull that off.”

Getting any details ironed out with this event or future scheduling in general must be put on hold at least until mid-late September, when the realignment for the 2016-2018 two-year block is finalized and region games are set. Additionally, with talks of replacing at least some of Doug Shaw’s FieldTurf in the offseason, locking into a five-game event on a surface that may not be ready come August could be a planning nightmare.

Simply, it may not be worth the struggle to continue on with the Carolinas Kickoff Clash. Stafford, whose company is also running a similar event outside Charlotte next week, estimated his costs for that one run five times less than the one held at Doug Shaw.

“That’s where my problem lies, the expenditures,” Stafford said. “We’ve got to sell more tickets. We’ve got to get better teams. But I don’t want to close the door on this thing.”

This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Derrick Law Firm Carolinas Kickoff Clash likely ending after this year."