ORANGEBURG, South Caroliina — Head coach Buddy Pough gathered his South Carolina State University football team at mid-field at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium on Friday and marveled at merciful clouds that hovered over two hours of get-acquainted intensity.“I don’t know what it is about Orangeburg,” Pough told the kneeling players, “but the man above always seems to take care of the weather on the first day of practice.”
If only the offseason had been so mild. Other college football teams have taken the field this August focused on playbook tweaks, position battles and schedule hurdles. S.C. State players have all that to worry about, plus program survival and the school’s collective psyche.
After years of scrutiny, investigations, infighting, deficits and political wrangling, S.C. State on June 30 approved a balanced budget heavy with cuts, early retirements, layoffs and furloughs. Nine campus buildings are closing.
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