Clemson University President Jim Clements announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the university will spend $500 million on a new theme park and water park adjacent to the football training facility. Construction on the new attraction will begin this June, and the park will be open to football players and their invited guests only.
When asked why all Clemson students will not have access to the facility, a spokesperson for the Clemson University Athletics Department said “the football players need more resources than the average student in order to be successful. We are confident that this new facility will increase happiness among our team and lead us toward our next national championship.”
In 2017, the university constructed a state-of-the-art football training facility at the meager cost of $55 million. The facility includes a nap room, miniature golf course, bowling alley, barber shop, movie theater, indoor slide, large weight room, wiffle ball field, multiple pools, a special room to display Clemson-branded Nike gear and a cafeteria to serve players gourmet meals at any time of the day.
The announcement of the new facility comes at a difficult time for Clemson University Athletics, having recently cut its men’s cross country and track and field programs. The department cites money, among several other things, as reasons for the cut. “We had to cut those programs in order to pay for more amenities for our football team,” said a spokesperson.
Students have expressed their content with the university’s spending on the football program. “I am so happy that Clemson is spending an astronomical amount of money on football while letting other causes go unfunded. The only thing I care about is football!,” said sophomore psychology major Jane Smith.
“Clemson is doing the right thing by underfunding other needs on campus. Hiring more therapists for all the students who are turned away from CAPS? Consistently stocking the Paw Pantry for students experiencing food insecurity? No thanks,” said senior philosophy major Bryan Jones. “Here at Clemson, football is our #1 priority.”
