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'''Memorial Stadium''', popularly known as "Death Valley" is home to the ] Tigers ] Division I-A ] team. Capacity is officially just over 81,000, though the record attendance was set in 1999 at 86,026. The stadium is one of the ten largest on-campus stadiums in the ] and is the largest in the ]. Built in 1940s, the stadium has been expanded throughout the years, and a future expansion of the west side of the stadium is scheduled to start in 2004. | |||
{{Short description|Football stadium at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina}} | |||
Among the most interesting features of the stadium are the grassy hill on the east side of the stadium, a popular sitting area for Clemson students. At the top of the hill lies "Howard's Rock", which is an imported rock from ], ] that was presented to legendary Clemson coach ] in ]. The Tigers' traditional team entrance involves each player rubbing the rock for magical powers and then running down the hill, a procession that has been termed "the most exciting 25 seconds in college football." | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} | |||
{{Infobox venue | |||
| stadium_name = Memorial Stadium | |||
| nickname = ''"Death Valley"'' | |||
| image = File:Clemson Memorial Stadium - Clemson University - DSC07484.JPG | |||
| caption = Memorial Stadium (Death Valley) - Clemson, South Carolina | |||
| image_size = 250 | |||
| address = Avenue of Champions | |||
| location = ] | |||
| coordinates = {{Coord|34|40|43|N|82|50|35|W|type:landmark_scale:4000|display=it}} | |||
| pushpin_map = USA South Carolina#USA | |||
| pushpin_relief = 1 | |||
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in South Carolina##Location in the United States | |||
| broke_ground = October 6, 1941<ref name="Blackman"/> | |||
| opened = September 19, 1942 | |||
| expanded = 1958, 1960, 1978, 1982, 1983, 2006, 2022 | |||
| closed = | |||
| demolished = | |||
| owner = | |||
| operator = ] | |||
| surface = Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass | |||
| construction_cost = $125,000 (original stadium)<br />(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|150000|1942}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) | |||
| architect = Carl Lee and Professor H.E. Glenn | |||
| general_contractor = A.N. Cameron and Hugh Webb<ref name="ballparks">{{cite web|title=Memorial Stadium|url=http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/ACC/Clemson/index.htm|publisher=Ballparks.com|access-date=August 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228214805/http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/ACC/Clemson/index.htm|archive-date=February 28, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
| former_names = Memorial Stadium | |||
(1942–1974) | |||
| tenants = ] (]) (1942–present)<br />] (]) (1995) | |||
| seating_capacity = 81,500 (2007–present) | |||
'''Former capacity''' | |||
{{collapsible list| | |||
* 81,473 (1991–2006) | |||
* 79,575 (1988–1990) | |||
* 79,854 (1986–1987) | |||
* 74,724 (1985) | |||
* 73,915 (1983–1984) | |||
* 57,307 (1982) | |||
* 53,306 (1978–1981) | |||
* 43,451 (1963–1977) | |||
* 43,309 (1960–1962) | |||
* 40,000 (1958–1959) | |||
* 20,500 (1942–1957) | |||
}} | |||
| record_attendance = 86,092 (Clemson Tigers v ]) (1999) | |||
| website = {{URL|https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/facilities/memorial-stadium/|clemsontigers.com/memorial-stadium}} | |||
}} | |||
'''Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium''', known as "'''Death Valley'''", is an outdoor stadium on the campus of ] in ]. It is home to the ] of the ]. | |||
Built between 1941–1942, the stadium was originally named Memorial Stadium in memory of "all Clemson men who have made the supreme sacrifice for their country."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vandervort |first1=Wil |title=The story on why Death Valley's real name is Memorial Stadium |url=https://www.si.com/college/clemson/football/the-story-on-why-death-valleys-real-name-is-memorial-stadium |website=Clemson Tigers on SI |publisher=Sports Illustrated |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref> In 1974, when legendary, long-time head coach and athletic director ] retired from the university, it was announced that the playing surface would be named in his honor. | |||
The term "Death Valley" comes from the fact that the field is physically situated in a valley. Two additional facts add to the mystique. First, the university ] sits on a hill that once overlooked the field before the upper decks were constructed. The other reference comes from a former ] coach who complained that playing his teams in Clemson would be similar to entering Death Valley (California). | |||
The stadium has seen expansions throughout the years with the most recent being the WestZone with Phase 1 construction beginning in 2004 and completing in 2015 with the addition of the Oculus, the final piece of Phase 3. Phase 1 of the EastZone project began in 2020. | |||
Before the Tigers played in Memorial Stadium, games were originally played on Bowman Field and later moved to Riggs Field, now home to Clemson's ] teams. | |||
Prior to the completion of ], in ], Memorial Stadium served as the home venue for the National Football League (NFL)'s ] during the team's ]. | |||
Currently, the stadium is the largest in the ] (ACC). | |||
==History == | |||
===Construction=== | |||
'''Clemson Memorial Stadium''' has been held in high esteem for many years. Whether it be players from the 1940s and 1950s, opposing players from the 1970s and 1980s, or even professional players in the 1990s, the ambiance of this special setting is what college football is all about. In 1999 the storied edifice added to its legend when the first meeting of father and son head coaches (Bowden Bowl I) took place before a sellout crowd of over 86,000 fans. | |||
The stadium was constructed against the wishes of outgoing Clemson head coach ]. Just before leaving for ] after the 1939 season, he told his line coach and successor, ], "Don't ever let them talk you into building a big stadium. Put about 10,000 seats behind the YMCA. That's all you'll ever need."<ref name="Howard"/> Despite this, Clemson officials decided it was time to build a stadium to replace old ].<ref name="Bradley">Bradley, Bob, "Death Valley Days", Longstreet Press, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, 1991, Library of Congress card number 91-061931, {{ISBN|1-56352-006-0}}, pages 11-17.</ref> They chose to build in the valley in the western part of campus. On April 3, 1941, the South Carolina General Assembly ratified an act authorizing a $150,000 bond issue for the new stadium, and the bill went to Governor ] for signature.<ref name="Blackman">Blackman, Sam, Bradley, Bob, and Kriese, Chuck, "Clemson: Where the Tigers Play", Sports Publishing, L.L.C., Champaign, Illinois, 2001, {{ISBN|1-58261-369-9}}, page 33-80.</ref> The original 20,500-seat stadium—the lower half of the current facility's south grandstand—was constructed for $125,000 or $6.25 a seat.<ref name="Blackman"/> The stadium was designed by Carl Lee of ] (Clemson '08) and Professor H. E. Glenn of the engineering faculty.<ref name="Blackman"/> On September 19, 1942, Memorial Stadium was opened with a 32–13 victory over Presbyterian College.<ref>{{cite web |title=2001 Clemson Football Media Guide|url=https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=fball_media|publisher=Clemson University Department of Athletics|year=2001|access-date=September 1, 2018|page=339}}</ref> Much of the early construction of the stadium was done by scholarship athletes. In fact, the first staking out of the stadium was done by A. N. Cameron and Hugh Webb, two members of the football team. | |||
In 1958, 18,000 sideline seats were added<ref name="Blackman"/> and in 1960, 5,658 west end zone seats were added in response to increasing attendance.<ref name="Blackman"/> The original cedar wood seating was replaced in 1972 by aluminum seats. As attendance continued to skyrocket, the sideline seats were double-decked. The south upper deck (Top Deck South) was added in 1978<ref name="Blackman"/> and the north upper deck (Top Deck North) in 1983. This put the total capacity over 80,000,<ref name="Blackman"/> which made it one of the largest on-campus stadiums in the United States. The most recent expansion started in 2004 and continued through 2009. The first phase of the "WestZone" project closed in the west end zone of Death Valley, added new luxury box and club seating, and completely renovated the locker rooms. The second phase, which was completed prior to the 2009 football season, brought all football offices and team meeting rooms to the WestZone from the McFadden Building and also added dedicated football training and strength conditioning facilities. The stadium's maximum capacity is 81,500, but it can accommodate crowds of over 86,000 with standing room. The largest crowd in school history was in 1999, when 86,092 watched the Tigers lose to ]. | |||
In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, various publications have named top 10 stadiums in college football and Clemson Memorial Stadium, affectionately known as "Death Valley," has been a common denominator on those lists. | |||
On January 14, 2011, Clemson announced a new $50 million athletic building plan. Facility improvements for football will include building an indoor practice facility and finishing the WestZone project. The indoor practice facility, which will be located where the current practice fields are, will feature a regulation-size artificial turf football field, a coach's tower and video platforms. The building will have large garage-style doors, which can be raised to create an open-air space. The estimated cost of the project is $10 million. “The indoor practice facility will be a highly significant addition for Clemson, not only for football but also for other sports to use,” Phillips said. The $15.3 million WestZone project will feature the oculus, which is the main entrance to the WestZone, a four-level museum and an expansion of the northwest concourse. Construction on the northwest concourse expansion started in April and was completed by the start of the 2011 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Clemson Unveils $50M Athletic Building Plan|url=http://www2.wspa.com/sports/2011/jan/14/clemson-unveils-50m-athletic-building-plan-ar-1342765/|work=]|location=Greenville|date=January 14, 2011|access-date=January 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319142151/http://www2.wspa.com/sports/2011/jan/14/clemson-unveils-50m-athletic-building-plan-ar-1342765/|archive-date=March 19, 2012}}</ref> | |||
The facility's mystique is derived from its many traditions, which date to its opening in 1942, the legendary games and players, and Clemson's corresponding rate of success. Clemson has won an even 200 games in the previous 57 years there (200-78-7) and has won over 70 percent of the contests. Twenty-eight times since 1983, crowds have exceeded 80,000. | |||
===Scroll of Honor=== | |||
A memorial to the 493 Clemson service personnel killed while on military duty was dedicated outside Gate 1 on April 22, 2010. A flypast of two ]s concluded the ceremonies.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clemson to dedicate Scroll of Honor Memorial|first=John|last=Gouch|url=http://newsstand.clemson.edu/mediarelations/clemson-to-dedicate-scroll-of-honor-memorial/|work=Clemson Newsstand|date=April 12, 2010|access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> | |||
===Death Valley=== | |||
] | |||
The nickname "Death Valley" for Memorial Stadium, derives both from ] in California as well as the location of the Clemson University ] on a hill that once overlooked the field—before the upper decks were constructed. | |||
The late Lonnie McMillian, former football coach at ] told sports writers in 1948 that he had "to take his team up to ] and play in Death Valley" where they rarely scored or gained a victory.<ref name="Bradley"/> | |||
'''History''' | |||
Clemson Head Coach ] began using the nickname "Death Valley" for the stadium in the 1950s. {{Citation needed|date=January 2019}} | |||
The stadium has definitely been good to the Tigers who call it home, but the stadium was constructed against the advice of at least one Clemson coach. Just before head coach Jess Neely left for Rice University after the 1939 season, he gave Clemson a message. "Don't ever let them talk you into building a big stadium," he said. "Put about 10,000 seats behind the Y.M.C.A. That's all you'll ever need". | |||
===Death Valley facts=== | |||
Instead of following Coach Neely's advice, however, Clemson officials decided to build the new stadium in a valley on the western part of campus. The place would take some clearing-there were many trees, but luckily there were no hedges. | |||
*Clemson is 345-105–6 at Death Valley, a winning percentage of over 76%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://clemsontigers.com/2018-football-media-guides-available-for-purchase-online/|title=2018 Clemson football media guide|date=August 9, 2018 |publisher=Clemson University Athletics|page=42}}<!--Source lists 303–101–6 thru 2017. Adding in 7 home games from 2018 yields 310–101–6--></ref> | |||
*In 1999, Tommy Bowden's first year as head coach, the attendance record was set at the game against Florida State, whose head coach was Tommy's father, Bobby. Ann Bowden wore a sweater that was half Clemson and half Florida State which read "FloridaSon." | |||
*In 2007, Clemson hosted a game against Boston College, and the stadium set the record for the loudest stadium in college football at 133 decibels. This record would eventually break in 2023 when Tennessee faced Georgia and the stadium set a record at 137 decibels. | |||
Memorial Stadium hosted ] with ] in 1989 for the ]. It hosted ] in 1994 for ]. It hosted ] with ] in 1995 for ] tour, and ] in 1996. In 1997, it hosted ] with ] for the ]. | |||
The crews went to work: clearing, cutting, pouring, and forming. Finally, on September 19, 1942, Clemson Memorial Stadium opened with the Tiger football team thrashing Presbyterian College, 32-13. Those 20,000 seats installed for Opening Day would soon grow; and grow and grow. This year Clemson celebrates its 58th year in this outstanding facility. When the original part of the stadium was built in the early 40's, much of the work was done by scholarship athletes, including many football players. The first staking out of the stadium was done by two members of the football team, A.N. Cameron and Hugh Webb. Webb returned to Clemson years later to be an architecture professor, and Cameron went on to become a civil engineer in Louisiana. | |||
==Notable games== | |||
The building of the stadium did not proceed without a few problems. One day during the clearing of the land, one young football player proudly announced that he was not allergic to poison oak. He then commenced to attack the poison oak with a swing blade, throwing the plants to and fro. The next day, however, the boy was swollen twice his size and had to be put in the hospital. | |||
* November 12, 1960 - After 57 straight trips to Columbia, SC for the annual game against Clemson's biggest rival, ], the Tigers host the Gamecocks and defeat them 12–2. The game marks the end of the traditional Big Thursday rivalry and the beginning of the current home-and-home series format between the two teams. | |||
* September 23, 1967 - Rubbing The Rock is introduced into Clemson tradition as the Tigers defeated ] 23–6. | |||
* September 19, 1981 - Unranked Clemson defeats defending national champion and #4 ] 13–3 en route to the Tigers' own national championship that year, finishing their season undefeated (12–0) . | |||
* October 31, 1981– #3 Clemson blows out ] 82–24, the most points ever scored by a Tiger team in Death Valley. | |||
* September 19, 1987– #18 ] comes into Death Valley to face #8 Clemson. The year before, ] had kicked the game-winning field goal in Athens as time expired to give Clemson the win. This year, trailing 20–16, Clemson's defense would stop the Bulldogs in the end zone for a safety and then take the ensuing drive to set up Treadwell again for a game-winning field goal. The Tigers won as time expired, 21–20. | |||
* September 17, 1988– #3 Clemson hosts #10 ] in what will forever be known as the "Puntrooskie" game. With two minutes left to play and the score tied, the Seminoles ran the now famous puntrooskie fake to Leroy Butler, which set up FSU's game-winning field goal with 32 seconds to play. | |||
* October 23, 1999 - Clemson hosts #1 ] for the first ever father/son head coach face off. Despite a close game, ] Seminoles were too much for ] Tigers and FSU secured a slim 17–14 win over the Tigers. FSU would win the national championship that year. The game marks Clemson's single game attendance record. | |||
* November 18, 2000 - Trailing 14–13 to ], quarterback ] connects with ] on a "Hail Mary" pass with 10 seconds to play, to set up Clemson's game-winning field goal and a score of 16-14. It would be dubbed by Clemson fans as "The Catch II." | |||
* November 8, 2003 - Clemson shocks #3 ] 26–10, the highest-ranked team the Tigers had beaten until the 2016 game against Louisville. | |||
] | |||
* October 21, 2006– ] visits Clemson for the first ever ] TV program hosted by the university, as the #12 Tigers host #13 Georgia Tech. Clemson running backs ] and ] ran wild against the Jackets, racking up a combined 332 yards on the ground en route to a 31–7 victory. Clemson's defense limited Yellow Jackets star wide receiver ] to no catches. | |||
* August 31, 2013 - ESPN's College GameDay returns to Clemson, this time debuting a new four-hour-long program for the game between #8 Clemson and #5 Georgia. ] would lead the Tigers to victory over the Dawgs by a score of 38–35, with Boyd being responsible for all 5 Tiger touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing). This would mark the first time that a non-SEC team had defeated two Top 10 SEC teams in a row, dating back to Clemson's victory over the ] Tigers in the ]. The game also marked the first time since 1988 that two Top 10 teams met in Death Valley. | |||
* October 19, 2013 - ESPN College GameDay returns to for the highest ever ranked matchup between two teams in Memorial Stadium. #5 ] arrives in Death Valley to take on #3 Clemson. However, the matchup proved to be a lopsided one as the Seminoles, led by redshirt freshman quarterback ], won 51–14 and Clemson's offense struggled to produce. FSU went on to win the national championship that year. | |||
* November 29, 2014 - In another Battle for the Palmetto State, South Carolina came into Death Valley with a five-game winning streak, their longest in the rivalry to date. Clemson's freshmen were the stars of the game, and Clemson went on to break the streak with a 35–17 victory over the struggling Gamecocks. Freshman quarterback ] threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two more; he was playing with a torn ACL. Freshman wide receiver ] set Memorial Stadium and Clemson freshman records for receiving with 185 yards and two touchdowns. Clemson came into the game with the #1 ranked defense in the country, the likes of which produced two first-round draft picks, ], who had a forced fumble in the game; and ], who would later be ejected for a targeting call on ]'s quarterback, Dylan Thompson. | |||
* October 3, 2015– ] ] returned to Clemson for a ], top-15 game with #6 ] arriving to take on the #11 Tigers. The game occurred during record rainfall throughout the state of South Carolina, including repeated downpours during the game. Watson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to give Clemson a 21–3 lead. Notre Dame rallied from behind to cut the lead to 24–22 in the waning seconds of the game. Clemson's defense, however, stopped Notre Dame quarterback ] on the two-point conversion to secure the win.<ref>{{cite web |title=Notre Dame vs. Clemson|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=400756940|work=]|date=October 3, 2015|access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> | |||
* November 7, 2015– "#1 in Death Valley" Clemson entered their yearly rivalry game with the ] as the #1 ranked team in the ] rankings. Clemson was 8–0 and riding on a proficient balanced offense and a reload on defense. Florida State led in the first half, with Dalvin Cook rushing for over 120 yards in the first quarter and a 73-yard touchdown run on the third play from scrimmage. Clemson would remain resilient, however, and Deshaun Watson led the Tigers to a 23–13 victory. This victory led to the declaration of Clemson as the 2015 Atlantic Division champions of the ACC, securing them a spot in the 2015 ACC Championship Game. It was Clemson's first victory in the rivalry with the Seminoles since 2011. | |||
* October 1, 2016 - Third-ranked ] entered Clemson to take on the #5 Tigers as ] ] returned once again. Clemson quarterback ] and Louisville quarterback ] fought a high-scoring quarterback duel. Watson threw five touchdown passes while Jackson threw for one score and ran for two. Clemson led 28–10 at the half, but Louisville scored 26 unanswered points to lead 36–28 in the fourth quarter. The Tigers rallied back for two scores and a 42–36 lead. The Clemson defense held off a late Louisville drive deep in Tiger territory, stopping the Cardinals on 4th and 12 to seal the victory. | |||
'''Clemson Top Single Game''' | |||
There are many other stories about the stadium including one stating that Frank Howard put a chew of tobacco in each corner of the stadium as the concrete poured. | |||
'''Attendance Figures'''<ref>{{cite web|title=2018 Football Media Guides Available For Purchase Online|date=August 9, 2018 |url=http://clemsontigers.com/2018-football-media-guides-available-for-purchase-online/|publisher=Clemson University Athletic Department|access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
|- | |||
! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Clemson Tigers|color=#FFF}};"|Year | |||
! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Clemson Tigers|color=#FFF}};"|Opponent | |||
! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Clemson Tigers|color=#FFF}};"|Attendance | |||
|- | |||
| 1999 | |||
| ] | |||
| 86,092 | |||
|- | |||
| 1994 | |||
| ] | |||
| 85,872 | |||
|- | |||
| 2015 | |||
| ] | |||
| 85,573 | |||
|- | |||
| 2000 | |||
| ] | |||
| 85,187 | |||
|- | |||
| 2001 | |||
| ] | |||
| 85,036 | |||
|- | |||
| 2014 | |||
| ] | |||
| 85,024 | |||
|- | |||
| 2015 | |||
| ] | |||
| 84,892 | |||
|- | |||
| 2001 | |||
| ] | |||
| 84,869 | |||
|- | |||
| 1988 | |||
| ] | |||
| 84,867 | |||
|- | |||
| 1988 | |||
| ] | |||
| 84,576 | |||
|} | |||
==Traditions== | |||
Howard says that the seeding of the grass caused a few problems. "About 40 people and I laid sod on the field," he says. "After three weeks, on July 15, we had only gotten halfway through. | |||
===Howard's Rock=== | |||
"I told them that it had taken us three weeks to get that far, and I would give them three more week's pay for however long it took. I also told them we would have 50 gallons of ice cream when we got through. After that it took them three days to do the rest of the field. Then we sat down in the middle of the field and ate up that whole 50 gallons." | |||
{{main|Howard's rock}} | |||
In the early 1960s, the rock was given to then head coach Frank Howard by a friend, Samuel Columbus Jones (Clemson Class of 1919).<ref>Clemson Alumni Association, "Clemson Alumni: Today 2008", Harris Connect, Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia, 2007, no ISBN , page 1904.</ref> It was presented to Howard by Jones, saying "Here's a rock from Death Valley, California, to Death Valley, South Carolina."<ref name="Howard">Howard, Frank, with Bradley, Bob, and Parker, Virgil, "Howard", Howard, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1990, {{ISBN|0-934904-22-7}}, page 132-5</ref> Howard didn't think anything else about the rock and it was used as a door stop in his office for several years. In September 1966, while cleaning out his office, Howard noticed the rock and told IPTAY executive director Gene Willimon, "Take this rock and throw it over the fence or out in the ditch...do something with it, but get it out of my office."<ref name="Howard"/> Willimon had the rock placed on a pedestal at the top of the east end zone hill that the team ran down to enter the field for games.<ref name="Bradley"/> On September 24, 1966, the first time Clemson players ran by the rock, they beat conference rival Virginia, 40–35.<ref>Clemson Athletic Department, "2001 Clemson Football", Keys Printing, Greenville, South Carolina, 2001, no ISBN , page 340.</ref> Howard, seizing on the motivational potential of "The Rock", told his players, "Give me 110% or keep your filthy hands off of my rock."<ref name="Bradley"/> The team started rubbing the Rock for the first game of 1967, in which they beat ACC foe Wake Forest, 23–6.<ref>{{cite web |title=Running Down the Hill|first=Sam|last=Blackman|date=September 7, 2016 |url=http://clemsontigers.com/running-down-the-hill/|publisher=Clemson University Athletic Department|access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> | |||
It is now a tradition for the Clemson Ranger Club to "protect" the Rock during the 24 hours preceding the Clemson-South Carolina game, when held in Death Valley. ROTC cadets keep a steady ] around the Rock prior to the game, which can be heard across the campus. Part of the tradition began after unknown parties vandalized the Rock prior to the 1992 South Carolina-Clemson game.<ref>{{cite news |title=Vandals Chip Chunk of Howard's Rock|first=Gerald|last=Garrett|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19921121&id=yTEfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Dc8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3200,1466481|newspaper=]|date=November 21, 1992|access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> | |||
Howard says that on the day of the first game in the stadium,"the gates were hung at 1:00 pm and we played at 2:00 pm." But that would be all of the construction for a while. Then in 1958, 18,000 sideline seats were added and, in 1960, a total of 5,658 West end zone seats were added in response to increasing attendance. With the large end zone,"Green Grass" section, this expansion increased capacity to about 53,000. | |||
In 2013, the rock was vandalized and re-installed under a protective case.<ref name="Schlabach">{{cite web |title=Clemson Makes Arrest in Rock Case|first=Andrea|last=Adelson|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/9433459/clemson-arrests-charges-man-connection-howard-rock-vandalism|work=]|date=July 1, 2013|access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> | |||
Later, upper decks were added to each side of the stadium as crowds swelled-the first one in 1978 and the second in 1983. This increased capacity to over 80,000 which makes it one of the 10 largest on-campus stadiums in the country. | |||
===Running Down the Hill=== | |||
The effect spiraling inflation has had in this century can be dramatically seen in the differences in stadium construction. The original part of the stadium was built at a cost of $125,000 or at $6.25 a seat. The newest upper deck was finished in 1983 at a cost of $13.5 million, or $866 a seat. | |||
Probably the most highly publicized tradition of Clemson football is its dramatic entrance scene. The tradition of Running Down the Hill started when the football locker rooms were located in Fike Field House (located up the hill northeast of the stadium). Clemson players would run down the hill all the way from Fike into the stadium to intimidate opposing teams. | |||
Today, after exiting the stadium on the west side, the players load into buses, escorted by police officers. They make their way around the stadium to the east side where The Hill is located. This scene has been shown on the JumboTron ever since it was installed in the stadium. When the buses arrive at the east side, the players get out and gather at the top of the hill and stand around Howard's Rock. Once most of the players are out of the buses and ready to go, a cannon sounds, the band launches into ], and the players run down the hill. In 1985, ] referred to it as "the most exciting 25 seconds in college football."<ref name="Howard"/> | |||
Through the years, Memorial Stadium has become known as "Death Valley." It was tagged this by the late Presbyterian coach, Lonnie McMillan. After bringing his P.C.teams to Clemson for years and getting whipped, McMillan said the place was like Death Valley. A few years later the name stuck. | |||
After the end of the 2018 season the Tigers had made the run down the hill 402 times. | |||
On November 16, 1974 the playing surface was named Frank Howard Field for the legendary coach because of his long service and dedication to the University. | |||
==Gallery== | |||
Luckily, the stadium wasn't built behind the Y. | |||
<gallery mode=packed heights=120> | |||
File:CU Memorial Stadium Aug2010.jpg|Exterior | |||
File:ClemsonMemorialStadium1.jpg|Grandstand | |||
File:Clemson101.jpg|End zone | |||
File:ClemsonMemorialStadium2.jpg|Notice "The Rock" | |||
File:Howard's Rock.jpg|Howard's Rock | |||
File:ClemsonMemorialStadium3.jpg|West End Zone Addition | |||
</gallery> | |||
==See also== | |||
* ] | |||
==References== | |||
{{Reflist|33em}} | |||
==External links== | |||
{{commons category}} | |||
* {{Official website}} | |||
* | |||
{{S-start}} | |||
{{Succession box | |||
| title = Home of the<br />] | |||
| years = 1995 | |||
| before = first stadium | |||
| after = ] | |||
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'''Running Down the Hill''' | |||
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What has been described as, "the most exciting 25 seconds in college football from a color and pageantry standpoint," actually started out as a matter-of-fact entrance, mainly because of necessity. | |||
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The first 20,000 seats in Clemson Memorial Stadium were built and ready for use before the 1942 season. Less than a year before Pearl Harbor was bombed and the United States was at war. | |||
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The shortest entry into the stadium was a walk down Williamson Road from Fike Field House's dressing rooms to a gate at the top of the hill behind the east end zone. There were no dressing facilities in the west end zone-only a big clock where the hands turned, and a scoreboard which was operated by hand. | |||
The team would dress at Fike, walk down Williamson Road, come in the gate underneath where the big scoreboard now stands and jog down the hill for its warmup exercises. There was no fanfare, no cannon shot fired, no tiger paw flag, no Tiger Rag played...just the team making its entrance and lining up to do the side straddle hop. | |||
That's pretty much the way things went for the next 25 years. | |||
'''Howard's Rock''' | |||
Either in 1964 or 1965, S.C. Jones, a member of the Clemson class of 1919, made a trip to California. He stopped at a spot in Death Valley, CA, and picked up this white flint rock. He presented it to Coach Frank Howard as being from Death Valley, CA, to Death Valley South Carolina. | |||
The rock laid on the floor in Howard's office in Fike for a year or more. One day Howard was cleaning up his office and he told Gene Willimon, who was the executive secretary of IPTAY, to, "take this rock and throw it over the fence or out in the ditch...do something with it, but get it out of my office." | |||
Willimon didn't think that was the way a rock should be treated. After all, it had been brought 3000 miles by a very sincere Tiger fan. | |||
By the mid-sixties, Memorial Stadium was pretty well living up to its moniker, Death Valley because of the number of victories that had been recorded there. Actually, the name was first used by the late head coach Lonnie McMillian, head coach at Presbyterian College in Clinton in the 1940's. | |||
McMillian and the other Blue Hose coaches before him used to open the season each year by coming to Clemson. Seldom scoring (24 shut outs in 39 games) and with only three wins and four ties to show for it, his teams were getting killed by the Tigers regularly. In 1948 McMillian made the comment to the press that he was taking his team to play Clemson in Death Valley. | |||
An occasional reference to Memorial stadium by that name could be heard for the next three or four years, but when Howard started calling it 'Death Valley' in the 1950's, the name took off like wildfire. The Tigers celebrated the 50th season in the "valley"' in 1991. | |||
But getting back to Howard's rock. | |||
The rock was mounted on a pedestal at the top of the hill. It was unveiled September 24, 1966, on a day when Clemson played Virginia. The Tigers were down 18 points with 17 minutes to play and came back to win (40-35) on a 65-yard pass play from Jimmy Addison to Jacky Jackson in the fourth period. That was quite a spectacular debut for that rock. | |||
The team members started rubbing the rock prior to running down the hill September 23, 1967, a day when Clemson defeated Wake Forest,23-6. Prior to running down the hill that day, Howard told his players: "If you're going to give me 110 percent, you can rub that rock. If you're not, keep your filthy hands off it." Howard told of the incident the next day on his Sunday television show and the story became legend. When Hootie Ingram succeeded Howard as head coach prior to the 1970 season, Ingram decided that the team would make its final entrance on the field out of the dressing room in the west end zone. In all home games in 1970 and 1971 and the first four of 1972 when the Tigers did not run down the hill, their record was 6-9. The team decided it wanted to come down the hill once prior to the South Carolina game in 1972. The result, in a cold, freezing rain, was a 7-6 victory when Jimmy Williamson knocked down a two-point conversion attempt which preserved the win. | |||
The Tigers have made the entrance for every home game since 1942, except for the seasons mentioned above - 243 times heading into the 1995 season. | |||
After Clemson's final warm-up, the team goes back into its dressing room under the west stands for final game instructions. About 10 minutes before kickoff the team boards two buses rides around behind the north stands to,the east end zone and debarks to the top of the hill behind Howard's Rock. | |||
At the appointed time, the cannon booms and led by a high-flying tiger paw flag, the band forms two lines for the team to run between and strikes up 'Tiger Rag' and the frenzy starts in all sincerity...and usually lasts two and a half to three hours. | |||
Its a tradition that has inspired Clemson players for many years. | |||
"When you get to the bottom, its like you're in a hole and all around you are nothing but Clemson fans. It's like the crowd is one big voice. You feel like little kings," said Tiger tailback Rodney Blunt. | |||
David Treadwell, a 1987 All-American placekicker for Clemson said, "Clemson's record at home is not a coincidence. Running down the hill is a part of that record. You get so inspired, and so much of college football is about emotion. You get out of that bus and you hear the roar of the crowd and it gives you chills up and down your spine. | |||
"Running down the hill is still talked about everywhere I go," said Jerry Butler, an All-American on the 1978 team who went on to a lengthy pro career with the Buffalo Bills. "Players who played against Clemson when I was in college always remember us rubbing that rock and thinking we would gain some type of spirit coming down that hill. The adrenaline rush was unbelievable for a Clemson player and it was quite a shock for the opponent." | |||
'''Quotes about Death Valley:''' | |||
"Death Valley really lives up to its image. I was impressed with this stadium. When you put 80,000 people in there, it really feels like they are on top of you. I would hate to be Georgia Tech or whoever else comes in here." | |||
--San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Steve Young | |||
"Everything just seems like a hushed roar. Thats all you hear. You really cant hear anybody standing next to you. You just have to shake your head and pretend like you heard what they said. I think its just the mystique of Clemson and seeing the guys coming off the hilltop and the way the stadium is shaped." | |||
--North Carolina All-American Marcus Jones | |||
"There is no place louder or picturesque than Death Valley. There, where Clemson folks see magic in a hill and a rock, orange gets more respect than anywhere this side of Gainesville, FL." | |||
--Terence Moore, Atlanta Constitution | |||
"I remember being nervous before the game because there were 80,000 people dressed in orange. Its intimidating. I even threw up before the game. Its the only time I've ever done that." | |||
--Former Duke Quarterback Dave Brown | |||
"When Clemson players rub that rock and run down the hill, its the most exciting 25 seconds in college football. " | |||
--Brent Musberger, ABC Sports | |||
"I came here knowing it would be loud and that Clemson would hit me hard, but to me, the noise was the biggest factor. I know I didn't concentrate as well because of it." | |||
--Herschel Walker after Clemson's 13-3 victory in 1981, his only regular season loss at Georgia. | |||
"When you get to the bottom its like you're in a hole and all around you are nothing but Clemson fans. Its like the crowd is one big voice. You feel like little kings." | |||
--Former Clemson running back Rodney Blunt | |||
"Clemson's record at home is not a coincidence. Running down the hill is a part of that record. You get so inspired, and so much of college football is about emotion. You get out of that bus and youhear the roar of the crowd and it gives up chills up and down your spine." | |||
--Former Clemson All-America kicker David Treadwell | |||
"The rock has strange powers. When you rub it, and run down the hill, the adrenaline flows. It's the most emotional experience I've ever had." | |||
--Five-time All-Pro and former Clemson All-American Michael Dean Perry | |||
"Running down the hill is still talked about everywhere I go. Players who played against Clemson when I was in college remember us running the hill and thinking we would gain some type of spirit. The adrenaline rush was unbelievable for a Clemson player and quite a shock for the opponent." | |||
--Former Clemson All-American Jerry Butler | |||
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Latest revision as of 08:55, 25 December 2024
Football stadium at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina
"Death Valley" | |
Memorial Stadium (Death Valley) - Clemson, South Carolina | |
Memorial StadiumLocation in South CarolinaShow map of South CarolinaMemorial StadiumLocation in the United StatesShow map of the United States | |
Former names | Memorial Stadium (1942–1974) |
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Address | Avenue of Champions |
Location | Clemson, South Carolina |
Coordinates | 34°40′43″N 82°50′35″W / 34.67861°N 82.84306°W / 34.67861; -82.84306 |
Operator | Clemson University |
Capacity | 81,500 (2007–present)
Former capacity List
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Record attendance | 86,092 (Clemson Tigers v Florida State) (1999) |
Surface | Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass |
Construction | |
Broke ground | October 6, 1941 |
Opened | September 19, 1942 |
Expanded | 1958, 1960, 1978, 1982, 1983, 2006, 2022 |
Construction cost | $125,000 (original stadium) ($2.8 million in 2023 dollars) |
Architect | Carl Lee and Professor H.E. Glenn |
General contractor | A.N. Cameron and Hugh Webb |
Tenants | |
Clemson Tigers (NCAA) (1942–present) Carolina Panthers (NFL) (1995) | |
Website | |
clemsontigers.com/memorial-stadium |
Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, known as "Death Valley", is an outdoor stadium on the campus of Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. It is home to the Clemson Tigers football team of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Built between 1941–1942, the stadium was originally named Memorial Stadium in memory of "all Clemson men who have made the supreme sacrifice for their country." In 1974, when legendary, long-time head coach and athletic director Frank Howard retired from the university, it was announced that the playing surface would be named in his honor.
The stadium has seen expansions throughout the years with the most recent being the WestZone with Phase 1 construction beginning in 2004 and completing in 2015 with the addition of the Oculus, the final piece of Phase 3. Phase 1 of the EastZone project began in 2020.
Prior to the completion of Bank of America Stadium, in Charlotte, Memorial Stadium served as the home venue for the National Football League (NFL)'s Carolina Panthers during the team's inaugural 1995 season.
Currently, the stadium is the largest in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
History
Construction
The stadium was constructed against the wishes of outgoing Clemson head coach Jess Neely. Just before leaving for Rice University after the 1939 season, he told his line coach and successor, Frank Howard, "Don't ever let them talk you into building a big stadium. Put about 10,000 seats behind the YMCA. That's all you'll ever need." Despite this, Clemson officials decided it was time to build a stadium to replace old Riggs Field. They chose to build in the valley in the western part of campus. On April 3, 1941, the South Carolina General Assembly ratified an act authorizing a $150,000 bond issue for the new stadium, and the bill went to Governor Burnet R. Maybank for signature. The original 20,500-seat stadium—the lower half of the current facility's south grandstand—was constructed for $125,000 or $6.25 a seat. The stadium was designed by Carl Lee of Charlotte, North Carolina (Clemson '08) and Professor H. E. Glenn of the engineering faculty. On September 19, 1942, Memorial Stadium was opened with a 32–13 victory over Presbyterian College. Much of the early construction of the stadium was done by scholarship athletes. In fact, the first staking out of the stadium was done by A. N. Cameron and Hugh Webb, two members of the football team.
In 1958, 18,000 sideline seats were added and in 1960, 5,658 west end zone seats were added in response to increasing attendance. The original cedar wood seating was replaced in 1972 by aluminum seats. As attendance continued to skyrocket, the sideline seats were double-decked. The south upper deck (Top Deck South) was added in 1978 and the north upper deck (Top Deck North) in 1983. This put the total capacity over 80,000, which made it one of the largest on-campus stadiums in the United States. The most recent expansion started in 2004 and continued through 2009. The first phase of the "WestZone" project closed in the west end zone of Death Valley, added new luxury box and club seating, and completely renovated the locker rooms. The second phase, which was completed prior to the 2009 football season, brought all football offices and team meeting rooms to the WestZone from the McFadden Building and also added dedicated football training and strength conditioning facilities. The stadium's maximum capacity is 81,500, but it can accommodate crowds of over 86,000 with standing room. The largest crowd in school history was in 1999, when 86,092 watched the Tigers lose to Florida State.
On January 14, 2011, Clemson announced a new $50 million athletic building plan. Facility improvements for football will include building an indoor practice facility and finishing the WestZone project. The indoor practice facility, which will be located where the current practice fields are, will feature a regulation-size artificial turf football field, a coach's tower and video platforms. The building will have large garage-style doors, which can be raised to create an open-air space. The estimated cost of the project is $10 million. “The indoor practice facility will be a highly significant addition for Clemson, not only for football but also for other sports to use,” Phillips said. The $15.3 million WestZone project will feature the oculus, which is the main entrance to the WestZone, a four-level museum and an expansion of the northwest concourse. Construction on the northwest concourse expansion started in April and was completed by the start of the 2011 season.
Scroll of Honor
A memorial to the 493 Clemson service personnel killed while on military duty was dedicated outside Gate 1 on April 22, 2010. A flypast of two T-34B Mentors concluded the ceremonies.
Death Valley
The nickname "Death Valley" for Memorial Stadium, derives both from Death Valley National Park in California as well as the location of the Clemson University cemetery on a hill that once overlooked the field—before the upper decks were constructed.
The late Lonnie McMillian, former football coach at Presbyterian College told sports writers in 1948 that he had "to take his team up to Clemson and play in Death Valley" where they rarely scored or gained a victory.
Clemson Head Coach Frank Howard began using the nickname "Death Valley" for the stadium in the 1950s.
Death Valley facts
- Clemson is 345-105–6 at Death Valley, a winning percentage of over 76%.
- In 1999, Tommy Bowden's first year as head coach, the attendance record was set at the game against Florida State, whose head coach was Tommy's father, Bobby. Ann Bowden wore a sweater that was half Clemson and half Florida State which read "FloridaSon."
- In 2007, Clemson hosted a game against Boston College, and the stadium set the record for the loudest stadium in college football at 133 decibels. This record would eventually break in 2023 when Tennessee faced Georgia and the stadium set a record at 137 decibels.
Memorial Stadium hosted The Rolling Stones with Living Colour in 1989 for the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour. It hosted Pink Floyd in 1994 for The Division Bell Tour. It hosted Elton John with Billy Joel in 1995 for Face to Face 1995 tour, and The Eagles in 1996. In 1997, it hosted U2 with Rage Against the Machine for the PopMart Tour.
Notable games
- November 12, 1960 - After 57 straight trips to Columbia, SC for the annual game against Clemson's biggest rival, South Carolina, the Tigers host the Gamecocks and defeat them 12–2. The game marks the end of the traditional Big Thursday rivalry and the beginning of the current home-and-home series format between the two teams.
- September 23, 1967 - Rubbing The Rock is introduced into Clemson tradition as the Tigers defeated Wake 23–6.
- September 19, 1981 - Unranked Clemson defeats defending national champion and #4 Georgia 13–3 en route to the Tigers' own national championship that year, finishing their season undefeated (12–0) .
- October 31, 1981– #3 Clemson blows out Wake Forest 82–24, the most points ever scored by a Tiger team in Death Valley.
- September 19, 1987– #18 Georgia comes into Death Valley to face #8 Clemson. The year before, David Treadwell had kicked the game-winning field goal in Athens as time expired to give Clemson the win. This year, trailing 20–16, Clemson's defense would stop the Bulldogs in the end zone for a safety and then take the ensuing drive to set up Treadwell again for a game-winning field goal. The Tigers won as time expired, 21–20.
- September 17, 1988– #3 Clemson hosts #10 Florida State in what will forever be known as the "Puntrooskie" game. With two minutes left to play and the score tied, the Seminoles ran the now famous puntrooskie fake to Leroy Butler, which set up FSU's game-winning field goal with 32 seconds to play.
- October 23, 1999 - Clemson hosts #1 Florida State for the first ever father/son head coach face off. Despite a close game, Bobby Bowden's Seminoles were too much for Tommy Bowden's Tigers and FSU secured a slim 17–14 win over the Tigers. FSU would win the national championship that year. The game marks Clemson's single game attendance record.
- November 18, 2000 - Trailing 14–13 to South Carolina, quarterback Woody Dantzler connects with Rod Gardner on a "Hail Mary" pass with 10 seconds to play, to set up Clemson's game-winning field goal and a score of 16-14. It would be dubbed by Clemson fans as "The Catch II."
- November 8, 2003 - Clemson shocks #3 Florida State 26–10, the highest-ranked team the Tigers had beaten until the 2016 game against Louisville.
- October 21, 2006– ESPN visits Clemson for the first ever GameDay TV program hosted by the university, as the #12 Tigers host #13 Georgia Tech. Clemson running backs James Davis and C. J. Spiller ran wild against the Jackets, racking up a combined 332 yards on the ground en route to a 31–7 victory. Clemson's defense limited Yellow Jackets star wide receiver Calvin Johnson to no catches.
- August 31, 2013 - ESPN's College GameDay returns to Clemson, this time debuting a new four-hour-long program for the game between #8 Clemson and #5 Georgia. Tajh Boyd would lead the Tigers to victory over the Dawgs by a score of 38–35, with Boyd being responsible for all 5 Tiger touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing). This would mark the first time that a non-SEC team had defeated two Top 10 SEC teams in a row, dating back to Clemson's victory over the LSU Tigers in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The game also marked the first time since 1988 that two Top 10 teams met in Death Valley.
- October 19, 2013 - ESPN College GameDay returns to for the highest ever ranked matchup between two teams in Memorial Stadium. #5 Florida State arrives in Death Valley to take on #3 Clemson. However, the matchup proved to be a lopsided one as the Seminoles, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston, won 51–14 and Clemson's offense struggled to produce. FSU went on to win the national championship that year.
- November 29, 2014 - In another Battle for the Palmetto State, South Carolina came into Death Valley with a five-game winning streak, their longest in the rivalry to date. Clemson's freshmen were the stars of the game, and Clemson went on to break the streak with a 35–17 victory over the struggling Gamecocks. Freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two more; he was playing with a torn ACL. Freshman wide receiver Artavis Scott set Memorial Stadium and Clemson freshman records for receiving with 185 yards and two touchdowns. Clemson came into the game with the #1 ranked defense in the country, the likes of which produced two first-round draft picks, Vic Beasley, who had a forced fumble in the game; and Stephone Anthony, who would later be ejected for a targeting call on South Carolina's quarterback, Dylan Thompson.
- October 3, 2015– ESPN College Game Day returned to Clemson for a prime time, top-15 game with #6 Notre Dame arriving to take on the #11 Tigers. The game occurred during record rainfall throughout the state of South Carolina, including repeated downpours during the game. Watson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to give Clemson a 21–3 lead. Notre Dame rallied from behind to cut the lead to 24–22 in the waning seconds of the game. Clemson's defense, however, stopped Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer on the two-point conversion to secure the win.
- November 7, 2015– "#1 in Death Valley" Clemson entered their yearly rivalry game with the Florida State Seminoles as the #1 ranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings. Clemson was 8–0 and riding on a proficient balanced offense and a reload on defense. Florida State led in the first half, with Dalvin Cook rushing for over 120 yards in the first quarter and a 73-yard touchdown run on the third play from scrimmage. Clemson would remain resilient, however, and Deshaun Watson led the Tigers to a 23–13 victory. This victory led to the declaration of Clemson as the 2015 Atlantic Division champions of the ACC, securing them a spot in the 2015 ACC Championship Game. It was Clemson's first victory in the rivalry with the Seminoles since 2011.
- October 1, 2016 - Third-ranked Louisville entered Clemson to take on the #5 Tigers as ESPN College Game Day returned once again. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson fought a high-scoring quarterback duel. Watson threw five touchdown passes while Jackson threw for one score and ran for two. Clemson led 28–10 at the half, but Louisville scored 26 unanswered points to lead 36–28 in the fourth quarter. The Tigers rallied back for two scores and a 42–36 lead. The Clemson defense held off a late Louisville drive deep in Tiger territory, stopping the Cardinals on 4th and 12 to seal the victory.
Clemson Top Single Game Attendance Figures
Year | Opponent | Attendance |
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1999 | Florida State | 86,092 |
1994 | South Carolina | 85,872 |
2015 | Florida State | 85,573 |
2000 | South Carolina | 85,187 |
2001 | Florida State | 85,036 |
2014 | South Carolina | 85,024 |
2015 | Notre Dame | 84,892 |
2001 | North Carolina | 84,869 |
1988 | South Carolina | 84,867 |
1988 | Florida State | 84,576 |
Traditions
Howard's Rock
Main article: Howard's rockIn the early 1960s, the rock was given to then head coach Frank Howard by a friend, Samuel Columbus Jones (Clemson Class of 1919). It was presented to Howard by Jones, saying "Here's a rock from Death Valley, California, to Death Valley, South Carolina." Howard didn't think anything else about the rock and it was used as a door stop in his office for several years. In September 1966, while cleaning out his office, Howard noticed the rock and told IPTAY executive director Gene Willimon, "Take this rock and throw it over the fence or out in the ditch...do something with it, but get it out of my office." Willimon had the rock placed on a pedestal at the top of the east end zone hill that the team ran down to enter the field for games. On September 24, 1966, the first time Clemson players ran by the rock, they beat conference rival Virginia, 40–35. Howard, seizing on the motivational potential of "The Rock", told his players, "Give me 110% or keep your filthy hands off of my rock." The team started rubbing the Rock for the first game of 1967, in which they beat ACC foe Wake Forest, 23–6.
It is now a tradition for the Clemson Ranger Club to "protect" the Rock during the 24 hours preceding the Clemson-South Carolina game, when held in Death Valley. ROTC cadets keep a steady drum cadence around the Rock prior to the game, which can be heard across the campus. Part of the tradition began after unknown parties vandalized the Rock prior to the 1992 South Carolina-Clemson game.
In 2013, the rock was vandalized and re-installed under a protective case.
Running Down the Hill
Probably the most highly publicized tradition of Clemson football is its dramatic entrance scene. The tradition of Running Down the Hill started when the football locker rooms were located in Fike Field House (located up the hill northeast of the stadium). Clemson players would run down the hill all the way from Fike into the stadium to intimidate opposing teams.
Today, after exiting the stadium on the west side, the players load into buses, escorted by police officers. They make their way around the stadium to the east side where The Hill is located. This scene has been shown on the JumboTron ever since it was installed in the stadium. When the buses arrive at the east side, the players get out and gather at the top of the hill and stand around Howard's Rock. Once most of the players are out of the buses and ready to go, a cannon sounds, the band launches into Tiger Rag, and the players run down the hill. In 1985, Brent Musburger referred to it as "the most exciting 25 seconds in college football."
After the end of the 2018 season the Tigers had made the run down the hill 402 times.
Gallery
See also
References
- ^ Blackman, Sam, Bradley, Bob, and Kriese, Chuck, "Clemson: Where the Tigers Play", Sports Publishing, L.L.C., Champaign, Illinois, 2001, ISBN 1-58261-369-9, page 33-80.
- 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- "Memorial Stadium". Ballparks.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- Vandervort, Wil. "The story on why Death Valley's real name is Memorial Stadium". Clemson Tigers on SI. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ Howard, Frank, with Bradley, Bob, and Parker, Virgil, "Howard", Howard, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1990, ISBN 0-934904-22-7, page 132-5
- ^ Bradley, Bob, "Death Valley Days", Longstreet Press, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, 1991, Library of Congress card number 91-061931, ISBN 1-56352-006-0, pages 11-17.
- "2001 Clemson Football Media Guide". Clemson University Department of Athletics. 2001. p. 339. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- "Clemson Unveils $50M Athletic Building Plan". WSPA. Greenville. January 14, 2011. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- Gouch, John (April 12, 2010). "Clemson to dedicate Scroll of Honor Memorial". Clemson Newsstand. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- "2018 Clemson football media guide". Clemson University Athletics. August 9, 2018. p. 42.
- "Notre Dame vs. Clemson". ESPN. October 3, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- "2018 Football Media Guides Available For Purchase Online". Clemson University Athletic Department. August 9, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- Clemson Alumni Association, "Clemson Alumni: Today 2008", Harris Connect, Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia, 2007, no ISBN , page 1904.
- Clemson Athletic Department, "2001 Clemson Football", Keys Printing, Greenville, South Carolina, 2001, no ISBN , page 340.
- Blackman, Sam (September 7, 2016). "Running Down the Hill". Clemson University Athletic Department. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- Garrett, Gerald (November 21, 1992). "Vandals Chip Chunk of Howard's Rock". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- Adelson, Andrea (July 1, 2013). "Clemson Makes Arrest in Rock Case". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
External links
Preceded byfirst stadium | Home of the Carolina Panthers 1995 |
Succeeded byEricsson Stadium |
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