Clemson Tigers
Encyclopedia
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University
as a member of the NCAA
's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference
.
In 1896, football coach Walter Riggs
came to Clemson, then Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, from Auburn University
. He had always admired the Princeton Tigers, and hence gave Clemson the Tiger mascot. The Clemson Tigers field nineteen athletic teams. In men's sports there are: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, track and field (indoor and outdoor), cross-country, and swimming and diving. For women's sports, there are: basketball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, track and field (indoor and outdoor), cross-country, swimming and diving, and rowing. The South Carolina Gamecocks
are Clemson's in-state athletic rival. The two institutions compete against each other in many sports, but the annual football game receives the most attention. Clemson's main rivals within the Atlantic Coast Conference are Georgia Tech, NC State, Florida State, Miami, and Boston College.
, Frank Howard Field, home to the Clemson University men's football team. Memorial Stadium is also known by its nickname, "Death Valley." Memorial Stadium is also home to the WestZone, which was completed in 2006. With the completion of the first phase of the WestZone, the listed capacity for Memorial Stadium is 80,301. The WestZone holds many IPTAY offices, Clemson football coach's offices, weight rooms, locker rooms, and a recruiting center.
The men's and women's basketball teams play at Littlejohn Coliseum
, which has a listed capacity of 10,000 spectators. Littlejohn also acts as a venue for a variety of campus functions throughout the year, including concerts and graduation ceremonies.
Recently renovated Doug Kingsmore Stadium
is home to Clemson's men's baseball team.
The men's and women's soccer teams play their home games at historic Riggs Field
.
Other home venues for these sports are: Walker Golf Course, Hoke Sloan Tennis Center, Jervey Gym
(volleyball), Rock Norman Track Complex, and McHugh Natatorium. Women's rowing holds home events on nearby Lake Hartwell
.
The Tiger football program has won 59.1% of its games through the 2010 season, placing it 34th on the all-time winning percentage list. Clemson is also currently the leader among ACC schools for conference championships at 13, having last won a title in 1991. Clemson also won two Southern Conference
titles before joining the ACC
. The program has participated in 33 bowl games over the years, winning 16. The 1981 squad, led by Head Coach Danny Ford, became the first athletic team in school history to win a national championship. Clemson defeated Nebraska 22–15 in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to win the 1981 NCAA Football National Championship. Stars of the game included Homer Jordan (QB) and Perry Tuttle (WR). Clemson finished the year 12–0 and ranked #1 in the Associated Press and Coaches polls. Clemson was sanctioned by the NCAA the following year for having over 150 documented violations.
Some of the most notable coaching names in Clemson football history are John Heisman
(also coached at Akron, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Penn, Washington & Jefferson, and Rice; the Heisman Trophy
is named after him), Jess Neely
, Frank Howard
(whom the playing field at Death Valley is named after), and Danny Ford
. After Tommy Bowden
resigned midseason on October 13, 2008, Dabo Swinney
took over as interim head coach. On December 1, 2008, Swinney was named head coach of the Clemson Tigers football team.
Before each home game, the team ends pre-game warm ups and proceeds to the locker room. With five minutes to go before game time, three buses leave the street behind the West Endzone carrying the Clemson football players. The buses pull to a stop at the gate in front of The Hill, and the Tigers gather at the top, where each player proceeds to rub "Howard's Rock" (which is an imported rock from Death Valley, California that was presented to Frank Howard in 1967). While Tiger Rag is played and a cannon sounds, the Tigers run down the hill onto the field in front of over 83,000 screaming fans. This tradition has been dubbed "The most exciting 25 seconds in college football" by sportscaster Brent Musburger
.
For the graduating classes of 2000-2010, according to statistics reported to the NCAA, the graduation rate for male students at Clemson has increased from an average of about 68% in 2000 to about 73% in 2010, while the graduation rate for football student-athletes at Clemson has decreased slightly over that period from an average of about 56% to about 54%. In other words, the graduation gap between football players and other male students has increased from 12% to 19% over the past decade.
Since 2000, the four-year average graduating rate for male students at Clemson has stayed steady at an average of about 69%, while the four-year average graduating rate
for football student-athletes at Clemson has stayed steady at an average of about 54%.
Beginning in 2005, the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) was developed in response to complaints from college and university presidents. "The GSR measures graduation rates at Division I institutions and includes students transferring into the institutions. The GSR also allows institutions to subtract student-athletes who leave their institutions prior to graduation as long as they would have been academically eligible to compete had they remained."
The GSR for the Clemson football program has decreased every year since the metric was introduced, from 94% in 2005 to 60% in 2010.
, announced April 13, 2010. Accomplishments include:
*vacated by NCAA
The Clemson Women's Basketball team is currently coached by head coach Itoro Coleman. In 2008, the team made it to the ACC
tournament, where it defeated N.C. State in the first round, but lost to eventual champion North Carolina in the quarterfinals.
Accomplishments include:
appearances. Much of the baseball program's success occurred under Bill Wilhelm during his 35 seasons as Clemson's head coach. Jack Leggett
has been the Tigers' head coach since 1994.
*ACC Tournament began in 1973 to determine conference champion
*No conference tournament was held in 1979 due to academic conflict, Clemson awarded title for regular season finish
played with Clemson in 2000 and is currently with Sporting CP. Other former Tigers include Stuart Holden
and Paul Stalteri
, both of whom are capped for their respective nations.
Women's soccer became a varsity sport at Clemson in 1994.
The Rugby Club is also very successful, and was founded in 1967.
Swimming
Tennis
Track
Wrestling
(GT leads 47-24-2
), NC State
(Clemson leads 48-27-1 in the Textile Bowl
), Boston College
(O'Rourke-McFadden Trophy, Clemson leads 9-8-2), and Florida State
(FSU leads 16-7).
Clemson has a lesser rivalry with the University of Georgia
, born because of the two institutions' close proximity (roughly 75 miles apart). Clemson and Georgia first met in 1897, only the second year the Tigers fielded a football team. The rivalry was at its height in the 1980s, but the two programs have not played each other since 2003. The athletic departments recently added games to be played in 2013 at Clemson and 2014 in Athens. Georgia leads the football series 41–17–4, winning the past five meetings in a row after last losing to the Tigers in 1990.
, the "Song that Shakes the Southland", a variation of the song originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The song is played at all Clemson sporting events, particularly following scores or big plays, and during the "Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football." The song lyrics are not used, save for the spell-out of "Clemson" at the end.
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
as a member of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
.
In 1896, football coach Walter Riggs
Walter Riggs
Walter Merritt Riggs was the president of Clemson University from 1910 to 1924 and the "father of Clemson football" coaching the first football team for what was then Clemson College. Riggs graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's of science in engineering in 1892 and was a member of...
came to Clemson, then Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, from Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. He had always admired the Princeton Tigers, and hence gave Clemson the Tiger mascot. The Clemson Tigers field nineteen athletic teams. In men's sports there are: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, track and field (indoor and outdoor), cross-country, and swimming and diving. For women's sports, there are: basketball, soccer, tennis, volleyball, track and field (indoor and outdoor), cross-country, swimming and diving, and rowing. The South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
are Clemson's in-state athletic rival. The two institutions compete against each other in many sports, but the annual football game receives the most attention. Clemson's main rivals within the Atlantic Coast Conference are Georgia Tech, NC State, Florida State, Miami, and Boston College.
Tiger Paw logo
The Tiger Paw logo was introduced at a press conference on July 21, 1970. It was created by John Antonio and developed by Helen Weaver of Henderson Advertising in Greenville, South Carolina, from a mold of a Bengal Tiger in the St. Louis Zoo. The tell-tale hook at the bottom of the paw is a sign that this is the official licensed trademark for the university. The SC Beta Chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity also has retained the exclusive rights to paint the logo on many of the highways that lead into Clemson.Facilities
The most prominent of Clemson's facilities is Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium, Clemson
Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, popularly known as Death Valley, is home to the Clemson University Tigers, a NCAA Division I-A football team, located in Clemson, South Carolina...
, Frank Howard Field, home to the Clemson University men's football team. Memorial Stadium is also known by its nickname, "Death Valley." Memorial Stadium is also home to the WestZone, which was completed in 2006. With the completion of the first phase of the WestZone, the listed capacity for Memorial Stadium is 80,301. The WestZone holds many IPTAY offices, Clemson football coach's offices, weight rooms, locker rooms, and a recruiting center.
The men's and women's basketball teams play at Littlejohn Coliseum
Littlejohn Coliseum
J.C. Littlejohn Coliseum, usually known as Littlejohn Coliseum, is a 10,325-seat multi-purpose arena in Clemson, South Carolina. It is home to the Clemson University Tigers men's and women's basketball teams. It is also the site of Clemson graduations and the Clemson Career Fair...
, which has a listed capacity of 10,000 spectators. Littlejohn also acts as a venue for a variety of campus functions throughout the year, including concerts and graduation ceremonies.
Recently renovated Doug Kingsmore Stadium
Doug Kingsmore Stadium
Doug Kingsmore Stadium is a stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. It is primarily used for NCAA college baseball and is the home field of the Clemson Tigers of the Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. It opened in 1970 and has a record single-game attendance of 6,480...
is home to Clemson's men's baseball team.
The men's and women's soccer teams play their home games at historic Riggs Field
Riggs Field
Riggs Field is a 6,500-capacity soccer-specific stadium located in Clemson, South Carolina. The stadium is home to the Clemson Tigers men's and women's soccer teams. It has also hosted the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship in 1987. The stadium opened for soccer in 1980, and was renovated in 1987...
.
Other home venues for these sports are: Walker Golf Course, Hoke Sloan Tennis Center, Jervey Gym
Jervey Athletic Center
The Jervey Athletic Center is a building in Clemson, South Carolina, on the campus of Clemson University. It contains the gymnasium for the women's volleyball team and offices and training facilities for all of Clemson's athletic teams. The facility was built in 1973 and renovated in...
(volleyball), Rock Norman Track Complex, and McHugh Natatorium. Women's rowing holds home events on nearby Lake Hartwell
Lake Hartwell
Lake Hartwell is a reservoir bordering Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca Rivers. The lake is created by Hartwell Dam located on the Savannah River seven miles below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers join to form the Savannah...
.
Football
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
titles before joining the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. The program has participated in 33 bowl games over the years, winning 16. The 1981 squad, led by Head Coach Danny Ford, became the first athletic team in school history to win a national championship. Clemson defeated Nebraska 22–15 in the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to win the 1981 NCAA Football National Championship. Stars of the game included Homer Jordan (QB) and Perry Tuttle (WR). Clemson finished the year 12–0 and ranked #1 in the Associated Press and Coaches polls. Clemson was sanctioned by the NCAA the following year for having over 150 documented violations.
Some of the most notable coaching names in Clemson football history are John Heisman
John Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
(also coached at Akron, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Penn, Washington & Jefferson, and Rice; the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
is named after him), Jess Neely
Jess Neely
Jess C. Neely was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Southwestern University, now Rhodes College , Clemson University , and Rice University , compiling a career college football record of 207–176–19...
, Frank Howard
Frank Howard (football coach)
Frank J. Howard was an American college football player and coach. He played college football for Alabama. After a career-ending injury, Howard joined the staff at Clemson College and became head coach in 1939. Howard would coach the Clemson Tigers for 30 years, amassing the 15th most wins of...
(whom the playing field at Death Valley is named after), and Danny Ford
Danny Ford
Danny Lee Ford is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina from 1978 to 1989 and at the University of Arkansas from 1993 to 1997, compiling...
. After Tommy Bowden
Tommy Bowden
Tommy Bowden is an American football coach who served as the head coach at Clemson University from 1999 until October 13, 2008...
resigned midseason on October 13, 2008, Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney
William Christopher "Dabo" Swinney is the head coach of the Clemson University Tigers football team; he was previously assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.-Playing career:...
took over as interim head coach. On December 1, 2008, Swinney was named head coach of the Clemson Tigers football team.
Before each home game, the team ends pre-game warm ups and proceeds to the locker room. With five minutes to go before game time, three buses leave the street behind the West Endzone carrying the Clemson football players. The buses pull to a stop at the gate in front of The Hill, and the Tigers gather at the top, where each player proceeds to rub "Howard's Rock" (which is an imported rock from Death Valley, California that was presented to Frank Howard in 1967). While Tiger Rag is played and a cannon sounds, the Tigers run down the hill onto the field in front of over 83,000 screaming fans. This tradition has been dubbed "The most exciting 25 seconds in college football" by sportscaster Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
.
| NCAA National Champions | 1981 1981 Clemson Tigers football team The 1981 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers were led by head coach Danny Ford and played their home games in Memorial Stadium... |
| ACC Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities... Champions |
1956, 1958, 1959, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991 |
| ACC Atlantic Division Champions | 2009, 2011 |
| Southern Conference Champions | 1940, 1948 |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions | 1900 (t), 1902 |
| Bowl victories | 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic, 1949 Gator Bowl Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally... , 1951 Orange Bowl, 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl Bluebonnet Bowl The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was... , 1978 Gator Bowl, 1982 Orange Bowl, 1986 Gator Bowl, 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl, 1989 Citrus Bowl, 1989 Gator Bowl, 1991 Hall of Fame Bowl, 1993 Peach Bowl, 2001 Humanitarian Bowl, 2004 Peach Bowl, 2005 Champs Sports Bowl Champs Sports Bowl The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic... , 2009 Music City Bowl Music City Bowl The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998.-Site:The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998... |
Graduation rates
| Year of Report | Graduation Rate, Male Students | Graduation Rate, Football | 4-Class Average, Male Students | 4-Class Average, Football | Graduation Success Rate, Football | Source |
| 2000 | 68% | 56% | 68% | 56% | ||
| 2001 | 66% | 55% | 67% | 57% | ||
| 2002 | 65% | 29% | 67% | 47% | ||
| 2003 | 67% | 78% | 66% | 53% | ||
| 2004 | 68% | 45% | 66% | 51% | ||
| 2005 | 69% | 48% | 67% | 49% | 94% | |
| 2006 | 72% | 70% | 69% | 59% | 77% | |
| 2007 | 70% | 67% | 70% | 56% | 75% | |
| 2008 | 74% | 41% | 71% | 55% | 68% | |
| 2009 | 76% | 72% | 73% | 61% | 67% | |
| 2010 | 73% | 41% | 73% | 54% | 60% | |
For the graduating classes of 2000-2010, according to statistics reported to the NCAA, the graduation rate for male students at Clemson has increased from an average of about 68% in 2000 to about 73% in 2010, while the graduation rate for football student-athletes at Clemson has decreased slightly over that period from an average of about 56% to about 54%. In other words, the graduation gap between football players and other male students has increased from 12% to 19% over the past decade.
Since 2000, the four-year average graduating rate for male students at Clemson has stayed steady at an average of about 69%, while the four-year average graduating rate
Decreasing graduation completion rates in the United States
The Graduation completion rate is the measure reflecting the amount of students who complete their graduation and receive a degree from an educational institution. The drop-out rate is the measure reflecting the amount of students who disengage with the educational institutions they are enrolled in...
for football student-athletes at Clemson has stayed steady at an average of about 54%.
Beginning in 2005, the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) was developed in response to complaints from college and university presidents. "The GSR measures graduation rates at Division I institutions and includes students transferring into the institutions. The GSR also allows institutions to subtract student-athletes who leave their institutions prior to graduation as long as they would have been academically eligible to compete had they remained."
The GSR for the Clemson football program has decreased every year since the metric was introduced, from 94% in 2005 to 60% in 2010.
Basketball
The Clemson Men's Basketball team is coached by head coach Brad BrownellBrad Brownell
-External links:*...
, announced April 13, 2010. Accomplishments include:
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | 1980, 1987, 1989, 1990*, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| NCAA Elite 8 | 1980 |
| NCAA Sweet 16 | 1990*, 1997 |
| NIT National Invitation Tournament The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985... Appearances |
1975, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| NIT Runner-Up | 1999, 2007 |
| Southern Conference Champions | 1939 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1990 (not officially recognized by the conference) |
The Clemson Women's Basketball team is currently coached by head coach Itoro Coleman. In 2008, the team made it to the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
tournament, where it defeated N.C. State in the first round, but lost to eventual champion North Carolina in the quarterfinals.
Accomplishments include:
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | 1982, 1988–1994, 1996–2002 |
| NCAA Elite 8 | 1991 |
| NCAA Sweet 16 | 1989, 1990, 1999 |
| AIAW Tournament Appearance | 1981 |
| WNIT Tournament Appearances | 1980, 1984 (3rd Place), 1995, 2004 |
| ACC Champions | 1996, 1999 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1981 |
Baseball
As of 2008, the Tiger baseball team has posted a combined 30 ACC regular season and tournament championships (most in the conference), 34 NCAA Tournament appearances, 16 NCAA Regional Titles, 3 NCAA Super Regional Titles, and 12 College World SeriesCollege World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
appearances. Much of the baseball program's success occurred under Bill Wilhelm during his 35 seasons as Clemson's head coach. Jack Leggett
Jack Leggett
Jack Leggett is the head baseball coach for Clemson University. In 17 seasons, he has led the Tigers to 767 wins . The Tigers have reached the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons as head coach, including the College World Series six times.He was named ACC Coach of the year in 1994, 1995 and 2006...
has been the Tigers' head coach since 1994.
| CWS Appearances | 1958, 1959, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2010 |
| ACC Champions | 1954, 1958, 1959, 1967, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2006 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2006 |
| ACC Atlantic Division Champions | 2006, 2010 |
| Southern Conference Champions | 1947 |
Soccer
The men's soccer team was Clemson's second sports program to win a national championship, winning the NCAA Tournament in 1984 and again in 1987. In their 26 appearances in the NCAA tournament, the men's soccer team garnered a runner-up finish in 1979 and has appeared in the NCAA Final Four seven times, with the 2005 squad being the most recent team to accomplish that feat. In addition to their NCAA titles, the men's program has won 16 combined ACC regular season and tournament titles, with the last one coming in the 2001 ACC Tournament. The Tigers have known only two coaches in their history: Dr. I.M. Ibrahim (1967–1994, 388–100–31 career record) and Trevor Adair (1995–present, 50–48–10 record at Clemson). Former Tiger Oguchi OnyewuOguchi Onyewu
Oguchialu Chijoke Onyewu also known as "Oguchi" Onyewu is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Sporting Clube de Portugal, in Primeira Liga, and the United States national team. Onyewu also holds a Belgian passport....
played with Clemson in 2000 and is currently with Sporting CP. Other former Tigers include Stuart Holden
Stuart Holden
Stuart Alistair Holden is an American football player who currently plays as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League....
and Paul Stalteri
Paul Stalteri
Paul Stalteri is a Canadian association football player who has spent most of his professional career in Germany. He won the league and cup double with Werder Bremen in the 2003-04 season, and is currently a Free Agent...
, both of whom are capped for their respective nations.
| NCAA Champions | 1984, 1987 |
| NCAA Runner-up | 1979 |
| NCAA Final Four | 1973, 1976, 1978, 2005 |
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | 1972–1979, 1981–1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000–2003, 2005, 2006 |
| ACC Champions | 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982(t), 1985, 1998, 2001 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1990, 1993, 1998 |
| Herman Trophy Winners | 2 (Bruce Murray - 1987, Wojtek Krakowiak - 1998) |
Women's soccer became a varsity sport at Clemson in 1994.
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | 1994–2007 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 2000 |
Golf
The Tiger golf team have a tradition of being among the best in the ACC and the nation, having won several ACC titles and regularly qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, Clemson defeated runner-up Oklahoma State to win its first National Championship in golf and the 4th overall for the school. In addition to that victory, Clemson also won the ACC and NCAA East Regional titles that year, making the Tigers the first program in NCAA history to win its conference, regional, and national championship tournaments in the same year. Clemson also has the most regional titles among NCAA Division I schools, having won 7 since the NCAA adopted the regional tournament format in 1989. 2009 US Open Champion Lucas Glover went to Clemson.| NCAA Team Champions | 2003 |
| NCAA Individual Champions | 1 (Charles Warren - 1997) |
| NCAA Team Runner-Up | 1998, 2001 |
| NCAA Individual Runner-up | 3 (Charles Warren - 1998, Kyle Stanley - 2007, 2009) |
| NCAA Team 3rd Place | 1989, 1997, 2002 |
| NCAA East Regional Champions | 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 |
| NCAA Individual Regional Champions | 2 (Mark Swygert - 1994, D.J. Trahan - 2002) |
| All-Americans | 51 |
| ACC Team Champions | 1982, 1987, 1988, 1990(t), 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004 |
| ACC Individual Champions | 8 |
| All-ACC | 69 |
Other sports
| Men's Track and Field | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Indoor Team Runner-Up | 1992, 1993 |
| NCAA Indoor Team 3rd Place | 1998(t), 1999 |
| NCAA Individual/Relay Champions | 8 (Indoor) 3 (Outdoor) |
| All-Americans | 69 (Indoor) 99 (Outdoor) |
| NCAA East Region Individual/Relay Champions (Outdoor) | 4 |
| NCAA All-East Region (Outdoor) | 18 |
| ACC Team Indoor Champions | 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 |
| ACC Team Outdoor Champions | 1980, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004 |
| ACC Individual/Relay Champions | 112 (Indoor) 178 (Outdoor) |
| All-ACC | 174 (Indoor) 227 (Outdoor) |
| Women's Track and Field | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Indoor 3rd Place | 2001 (t) |
| NCAA Individual/Relay Champions | 5 (Indoor) 2 (Outdoor) |
| All-Americans | 30 (Indoor) 39 (Outdoor) |
| NCAA All-East Region (Outdoor) | 8 |
| ACC Indoor Team Champions | 1992, 2010 |
| ACC Outdoor Champions | 1991, 1999, 2010 |
| ACC Individual/Relay Champions | 47 (Indoor) 70 (Outdoor) |
| All-ACC | 96 (Indoor) 117 (Outdoor) |
| Men's Cross-Country | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Region Champions | 1983 |
| NCAA Individual Region Champions | 4 |
| All-Americans | 11 |
| ACC Team Champions | 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988 |
| ACC Individual Champions | 11 |
| All-ACC | 35 |
| Women's Cross-Country | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Region Champions | 1990 |
| All-Americans | 9 |
| ACC Team Champions | 1986 |
| ACC Individual Champions | 2 |
| All-ACC | 22 |
| Men's Tennis | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | 1979–1989, 1992, 1996–2000, 2003–2007 |
| NCAA Individual Runner-up | 1 (Lawson Duncan Lawson Duncan Lawson Duncan is a retired American tennis player. The right-hander reached his highest Association of Tennis Professionals singles ranking on May 20, 1985, when he became World No. 47... - 1984) |
| All-Americans | 29 |
| ACC Champions | 1969, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1997 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1969, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1997 |
| ACC Single Flight Champions | 43 |
| ACC Doubles Flight Champions | 25 |
| SIAA Single Flight Champions | 1 |
| SIAA Doubles Flight Champions | 1 |
| Women's Tennis | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Final Four | 2004, 2005 |
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | 1982–1984, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002–2009 |
| AIAW Tournament Appearances | 1978, 1980, 1981 |
| NCAA Individual Runner-up | 1 (Gigi Fernández Gigi Fernández Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández is a former professional tennis player, the first female athlete from her native Puerto Rico to turn professional, the first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal and the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.Fernandez won 17 Grand... - 1983) |
| All-Americans | 24 |
| ACC Champions | 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2004, 2008 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 2004, 2007 |
| ACC Single Flight Champions | 40 |
| ACC Doubles Flight Champions | 22 |
| Women's Volleyball | |
|---|---|
| ACC Champions | 1997, 2007 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1999 |
| NCAA Tournament | 1993, 1994, 1997–1999, 2007–2009 |
- ACC Championship decided by tournament until 2004; regular season finish has determined ACC champion since 2005 season
| Men's Swimming and Diving | |
|---|---|
| ACC Team Champions | 1986 |
| ACC Individual/Relay Champions | 47 |
| All-ACC | 43 |
| SoCon Champions | 1939 |
| Women's Swimming and Diving | |
|---|---|
| ACC Team Champions | 1987, 1988, 1989, 1997 |
| ACC Individual/Relay Champions | 76 |
| All-ACC | 89 |
| Women's Rowing | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Individual Champions | 1 (2009 Varsity 4+) |
| ACC Team Champions | 2009 |
| South Region Runner-Up | 2008 |
- The Lady Tigers rowing team became the 1st team other than Virginia to win the ACC Championship since the ACC began sponsoring the women's rowing championship in 2000.
The Rugby Club is also very successful, and was founded in 1967.
Discontinued Sports
| Wrestling | 1975-1995 |
|---|---|
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1991 |
| ACC Individual Champions | 28 |
| NCAA Individual Champions | Noel Loban (1980) Sammie Henson (1993, 1994) |
| NCAA All-Americans | 8 |
| Boxing | 1930s-1948 |
|---|---|
| SoCon Team Champions | 1938, 1940 |
| Socon Individual Champions | 7 |
| Men's Fencing | 1970-1982 |
|---|---|
| NCAA Runner-Up | 1982 |
| NCAA Tournament | 1976-1982 |
| ACC Champions | 1979, 1981 |
| ACC Regular Season Champions | 1980 |
| National Coach of the Year | Charlie Poteat (1982) |
| All-Americans | Steve Renshaw (1977-1980, 4x All-American) Jay Thomas (1979, 1980, 1982) |
| Women's Fencing | 1975-1982 |
|---|---|
| NCAA Tournament | 1982 |
| Women's Field Hockey | 1977-1981 |
|---|---|
| All-American | Barbie Johnson (1981) |
Olympic Medalists
Baseball- Mike Milchin (1988, United States, Pitcher, Gold)
- Kris BensonKris BensonKristin James Benson is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Benson pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates from to , New York Mets from to , Baltimore Orioles in to , Texas Rangers in , and Arizona Diamondbacks in ....
(1996, United States, Pitcher, Bronze) - Billy KochBilly KochWilliam Koch is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He entered the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays and most recently pitched for the Florida Marlins in 2004.- Baseball career :...
(1996, United States, Pitcher, Bronze) - Matthew LeCroy (1996, United States, Catcher, Bronze)
Swimming
- Michele Richardson (1984, United States, 800 free, Silver)
- Mitzi KremerMitzi KremerMitzi Patricia Kremer is a former freestyle swimmer from the United States, who was a member of the women's team that won the bronze medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea...
(1988, United States, 400 free relay, Bronze)
Tennis
- Gigi FernándezGigi FernándezBeatriz "Gigi" Fernández is a former professional tennis player, the first female athlete from her native Puerto Rico to turn professional, the first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal and the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.Fernandez won 17 Grand...
(1992 and 1996, United States, Doubles, Gold)
Track
- Desai WilliamsDesai WilliamsDesai Williams is a former sprinter from Canada, who won an Olympic bronze medal in 4 x 100 metres relay in Los Angeles 1984....
(1984, Canada, 4x100 Relay, Bronze) - Tony SharpeTony SharpeTony Sharpe is a former sprinter from Canada who won an Olympic bronze medal in 4 x 100 metres relay in Los Angeles 1984...
(1984, Canada, 4x100 Relay, Bronze) - Mark McKoyMark McKoyMark Anthony McKoy is a former Canadian athlete, winner of 110 metres hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Mark McKoy spent his youth in England, before moving to Canada as a teenager...
(1992, Canada, 110 Hurdles, Gold) - Kim GrahamKim GrahamKimberly Elaine Graham is a former American sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres event. She represented the United States at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where she received a gold medal in women's 4x400 metres relay with Rochelle Stevens, Maicel Malone, and Jearl Miles...
(1996, United States, 4x400 Relay, Gold) - Carlton Chambers (1996, Canada, 4x100 Relay, Gold)
- Shawn CrawfordShawn CrawfordShawn Crawford is an American sprint athlete. He competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters events. He won gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics and silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200 meters....
(2004 and 2008, United States, 200m Gold and 4x100 Relay Silver (2004), 200m Silver (2008)) - Michelle BurgherMichelle BurgherMichelle Burgher is a track and field athlete, competing internationally for Jamaica. She was a bronze medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece....
(2004, Jamaica, 4x400 Relay, Bronze)
Wrestling
- Noel Loban (1984, Great Britain, Bronze)
- Sammie Henson (2000, United States, Silver)
Other Rivalries
Clemson's intra-conference football rivalries include Georgia TechGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
(GT leads 47-24-2
Clemson – Georgia Tech rivalry
The Clemson–Georgia Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played by the Clemson Tigers football team of Clemson University and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology...
), NC State
NC State Wolfpack
The athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
(Clemson leads 48-27-1 in the Textile Bowl
Textile Bowl
The Textile Bowl is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Clemson Tigers football team of Clemson University and the NC State Wolfpack football team of North Carolina State University. The rivalry game has been known as the Textile Bowl since 1981...
), Boston College
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
(O'Rourke-McFadden Trophy, Clemson leads 9-8-2), and Florida State
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
(FSU leads 16-7).
Clemson has a lesser rivalry with the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, born because of the two institutions' close proximity (roughly 75 miles apart). Clemson and Georgia first met in 1897, only the second year the Tigers fielded a football team. The rivalry was at its height in the 1980s, but the two programs have not played each other since 2003. The athletic departments recently added games to be played in 2013 at Clemson and 2014 in Athens. Georgia leads the football series 41–17–4, winning the past five meetings in a row after last losing to the Tigers in 1990.
Fight song
Clemson's fight song is the Tiger RagTiger Rag
"Tiger Rag" is a jazz standard, originally recorded and copyrighted by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917. It is one of the most recorded jazz compositions of all time.-Origins:...
, the "Song that Shakes the Southland", a variation of the song originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The song is played at all Clemson sporting events, particularly following scores or big plays, and during the "Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football." The song lyrics are not used, save for the spell-out of "Clemson" at the end.