Clemson Memorial Stadium Tickets

Clemson Memorial Stadium
Clemson Memorial Stadium was built in September 19, 1942 at the cost of construction of $ 125,000 with ownership of Clemson University; named after Thomas Green Clemson IV, the University's founder, who when died left most of his estate in his will to be used to establish a college that would teach scientific agriculture and the mechanical arts to South Carolinians.

The stadium was designed by a 1998 Class Clemson graduate Carl Lee of Charlotte, N.C. and 1908 Class graduate Professor H.E. Glenn of the engineering faculty. On the day of opening of this stadium Clemson achieved a 32-13 victory over Presbyterian College.

The first staking out of the stadium was done by A.N. Cameron and Hugh Webb, two members of the football team. Scholarship athletes played major role in the early construction of Clemson Memorial Stadium. Though currently it is home of Clemson Tigers but the previous tenants were Carolina Panthers NFL.

Clemson Memorial is warmly known as "Death Valley" pertain many traditions, the legendary games and players and Clemson"s rate of success. One of them is the presence of the cemetery on the hill that once overlooked the field before the upper deck was constructed.

The other reference is Lonnie McMillian who called it a Death Valley because his team rarely scored and won a match in this stadium. Clemson has won near 200 games in the previous 57 years in this stadium.

The stadium was constructed against the advice of Clemson coach, Jess Neely who expressed his views as, "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".

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. In later years to come the stadium was extended as the crowd continued to swell. In 1958, 18,000 sideline seats were added and in 1960, 5,658 west end zone seats were added in response to escalating audience.

As attendance continued to mount, an upper South and North decks was added to each side of the stadium1978 and 1983 respectively costing $ 13.5 million. The most recent expansion started in 2004 and will continue through this year working on luxury box, club seating, locker rooms, football offices and team meeting rooms.

The added construction increased the sitting capacity of the stadium to over 80,000 seats which makes it one of the 10 largest on-campus stadiums in the United States and twenty-eight times bigger since 1983.

The most distinctive part of the spectacle when you come to see a match at Clemson is at the east end zone, for here is "Howard"s Rock", a rock placed on a pedestal back in the 60s by their legendary coach, Frank Howard. The rock was presented to Howard by S.C. Jones a member of Clemson class of 1919 who brought it from 3000 miles away Death Valley, CA being a sincere Tiger fan.

Howard decided to throw the rock out of his office after keeping it for long but Gene Willimon IPTAY executive secretary thought quite contrary to treat a rock with some respect thus it was placed on a pedestal at the top of the hill. It is believed that the rock holds some mystical influence ever since Tigers won against Virginia in September 24, 1966 after rubbing their hands at the rock.

It has become a tradition for Tigers to enter the stadium now from this point at the beginning of every game acclaimed as Running down the hill with booming cannons and leading Clemson flags. It is described as "the 25 most exciting seconds in college football."

Owing to the reputation of Clemson Memorial there is the Gold Series 6-inch x 5-inch x 3-inch replica stadium made of poly-resin stone, and displays fans in the seats painted in the team colors in special display case for Clemson fans to buy.

Apart from the exciting matches the University Union and Student Center has also successfully hosted tours of The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joel and Elton John, Pink Floyd, U2, and the George Strait Country Music Festival within this huge vicinity of 80,000 seating accommodations of Clemson Memorial.