Clemson University is more than just an institution of higher learning; it’s a community steeped in traditions that unite students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the town.
As a Clemson alum and the founder of an endowment granting scholarships to Clemson students, David Stone has a special appreciation for the university’s unique customs and traditions.
Campus Traditions
Every Friday, Clemson students, faculty, and staff show their Tiger pride by wearing orange. Moreover, thousands of students each year purchase a special Clemson ring to further highlight their school spirit. Students who complete 90 credit hours are eligible to purchase the palmetto-tree-branded ring. This tradition dates back to the 1800s, and the ring’s design has been constant since 1939. However, it’s only been in the past 25 years—since 2000—that Clemson has hosted a ceremony to celebrate students who have earned these rings.
One of the best things about Clemson is the way that graduates like David Stone become part of the university’s history after they earn their degrees. Many grads have left their mark on campus—quite literally. Since the 1950s, graduating seniors have been carving their names into bricks on sidewalks all over campus. Today, there are more than 53,000 names scrawled into these bricks.
Football Gameday Rituals
As a dedicated fan of the Tigers, David Stone is also well versed in the many Clemson gameday traditions. Before each home game at Death Valley, head coach Dabo Swinney and the players rush through a crowd of cheering students down the Hill at Memorial Stadium to take the field. This dramatic entrance is sometimes called “the most exciting 25 seconds in college football.” It occurs after the players rub the large rock named after legendary coach Frank Howard that sits atop the Hill—a Clemson tradition since 1967.
Clemson’s famous tailgating scene creates an atmosphere of excitement and fun every gameday. Southern Living magazine even voted the school as the best tailgating spot in the southern US multiple times. Excitement builds before each game once the Clemson team bus makes its customary one-minute ride around the stadium perimeter.
The Tiger Rag, alma mater salute, and “all-in” poker chip are among the other notable gameday traditions at Clemson. Affectionately known as “the song that shakes the Southland,” the Tiger Rag is the school fight song played before every home game. Thousands of fans join the Tiger Band by enthusiastically spelling out C-L-E-M-S-O-N.
The alma mater salute is a tradition that harks back to Clemson’s early military days, when freshman students waved their rat caps in the air during home football games. Students and alumni carry on this tradition today, frequently waving their hands with their thumbs folded underneath like they’re holding a cap. Swinney, meanwhile, introduced the poker chip concept in 2008, giving each player poker chips that they place in a bucket before each game. The chips serve as a symbol for each player’s commitment, showing that they’re “all-in.”
Clemson also has unique traditions for special games, like the first home game of each season and homecoming. The First Friday Parade, held the afternoon prior to the Tigers’ first game at Memorial Stadium, has been running from Douthit Hills through the intramural fields to Fike Recreation Center every year since 1974. Homecoming, which dates back to 1914, involves a celebration of Clemson alumni, a student-led building project for Habitat for Humanity, and one of the largest student-run pep rallies in the entire country.
Away Games
Even away from home, Clemson students celebrate a unique tradition, one that began in 1977. That year, Georgia Tech declared it would no longer play their South Carolina rival in football. Protesting this decision, Clemson students and alumni began stamping $2 bills with the tiger paw team logo and spending them while in Atlanta. Students still routinely bring paw-stamped $2 bills to away team venues to spread Tiger pride nationwide.
