FAN FOR A DAY: CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
Clemson University was built on the former plantation estate of John C. Calhoun, who served as the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun’s daughter married Thomas Green Clemson, a politician in his own right and the founder of Clemson University. You can start your campus tour with a visit to Calhoun’s home on university property, which is all that remains of the original plantation site.
Fort Hill House, aka the John C. Calhoun House
Another notable stop while visiting Clemson University is Tillman Hall, the most famous building on campus that includes a clock tower. Additional campus highlights include a statue of the university’s founder (just in front of Tillman Hall), South Carolina Botanical Garden, and Clemson’s Athletic Hall of Fame, located in the McFadden Building. We found the campus to be extremely clean with lovely architecture and very respectful fans.
Tillman Hall & the Thomas Green Clemson statue
Do not miss the ’55 Exchange, a student-run shop that designs, makes, and sells ice cream! This business enterprise was made possible by a gift from the class of 1955 (hence the name), and all revenue generated through this student-led initiative directly goes to support Clemson students and their scholastic journeys. Please note that they do have dairy free options! Be sure to check out their hours of operation, as they do change on game days.
sweet treat from ‘55 Exchange!
You will want to take a look at these spots on campus well before game time, because tailgating tents will start to pop up around campus. If it gets to be too crowded, pop over to College Ave for great shopping and dining. Specifically, do not miss Judge Keller’s Store, a clothing store that has been around since 1899. When it is game time, make sure you are sporting appropriate gear, as Memorial Stadium has a strict clear bag policy that you can read about here. One notable perk about this stadium in particular is that you can exit and reenter, as long as you have a pass-out hand stamp and your admittance stub. After the game, enjoy dinner at Pixie & Bill’s before heading back on the road!
inside Memorial Stadium!
Know before you go:
· Main rival games where the attendance will be the busiest and the crowds will be the loudest are as follows: University of South Carolina (in state rival), Florida State (conference rival), and Georgia Tech (conference rival). Lesser rivals are Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Georgia, and NC State.
· Be aware of opposing teams’ colors! Clemson fans wear white, purple, and orange. Keep in mind that Clemson’s mascot is a tiger, so do not be caught out wearing leopard print – Clemson fans are very proud of their tiger stripes!
· While Clemson’s mascot is one of the most used in sports (Auburn, LSU, Missouri, Princeton), the Clemson tiger in particular – an anthropomorphized version often sporting a jersey for a specific sport – is usually accompanied by a tiger cub, his younger sidekick!
· While Clemson’s football stadium is technically called Memorial Stadium, many know it as Death Valley. After Presbyterian College repeatedly lost to Clemson, the PC coach called the stadium “Death Valley.” Then Clemson head coach Frank Howard was given a rock from the real Death Valley in California and the name stuck! (You might have heard that LSU’s stadium is also called Death Valley. That is because LSU beat Clemson in the 1959 Sugar Bowl and subsequently claimed the right to use the nickname for their own stadium.)
· Do not miss when the Clemson Tigers enter the stadium, which is said to be one of the best entrances in sports. With gusto, the team will run down a hill onto the field, rubbing a rock that is mounted on the hill for good luck. The very same rock that was given to coach Frank Howard, mentioned above!
Go Tigers!
