The Clemson gymnastics team is set to kick off its inaugural season in just under two months, and Clemson recently announced the program’s full 2024 schedule.
The Tigers will begin their season against William & Mary in Littlejohn Coliseum on Jan. 12, 2024, and from there, will face many notable opponents, including North Carolina and UCLA.
Clemson will head to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Jan. 26 to compete against the Tar Heels and will then host them in Littlejohn later in February. The Tar Heels were 15-7 (6-0 ACC) last year and went on to lose to Arizona in the NCAA Regionals. With many veterans still on the team, the Tar Heels are set to have another great season and will be a good matchup for a novice Clemson team.
Lauren Rutherford, a junior transfer from NC State, is set to take on her former team twice during the inaugural season. Clemson will host the Wolfpack on Feb. 2 to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and the Tigers will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, two weeks later to take on the Wolfpack once again. NC State finished 13-11 (8-4 ACC) last year and lost in the second round of the NCAA Norman Regional.
Rounding out conference matches, the Tigers will face Pittsburgh twice as well; the Panthers went 10-15 (2-5 ACC) last season. As this is the first year in which the ACC is sponsoring women’s gymnastics, the season is sure to be full of solid competition in hopes of bringing back the first-ever championship title.
The Tigers will close off their season when they travel to Los Angeles to face UCLA on March 16. The Bruins placed 3rd in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships last season with a team featuring Olympian Jordan Chiles. Chiles recently won three medals at the Pan American Games and is on track to have another record-breaking season before heading to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Head coach Amy Smith is excited about this season with her new team, as there is a lot of young talent ready to compete. Before the season officially begins early next year, the Tigers are hosting a free Gymnastics 101 meet in Littlejohn on Dec. 8, where the squad can show off its skills.
