The fall is fast approaching, and with it comes so many festivities. Breaking out the flannel, enjoying the cooler days, watching the leaves turn and everything pumpkin spice. At Clemson, however, sports steal the show.
Football game days at Memorial Stadium, intense soccer matches at Historic Riggs Field, the chants from Littlejohn Coliseum during basketball games and so much more headline Clemson’s fall sports. Here is everything you need to know about some of the big fall sports.
Football
Get ready to rock Death Valley, as the 2024 Clemson football season is bound to be big. Huge changes to the college football landscape have been implemented, one of the most prominent being the College Football Playoff, which has now been extended to 12 teams — eight more than the original four.
The Tigers are coming off a 9-4 season in 2023, with multiple tough losses holding them back from playoff contention, but the squad is back and better this season. Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik stands at the helm of an ever-improving offense, and stars like senior linebacker Barrett Carter lead the team’s powerful defense. Multiple home games will be a treat for Clemson’s fanbase, including the Tigers’ matchups against North Carolina State on Sep. 21, Louisville on Nov. 2 and the rival South Carolina Gamecocks to finish the season on Nov. 30. See you at Death Valley!
Men’s & women’s soccer
For the second time in three years, Clemson United became national champions with its win over Notre Dame in the College Cup finals. An unforgettable trip to stardom, as the team shredded through the ACC conference tournament, winning it all without conceding a single goal.
A new season awaits, with visions of glory lingering in the players’ heads as the chase for the national title begins yet again. After losing the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Ousmane Sylla and star midfielder Brandon Parrish to the MLS SuperDraft, United beefed up its roster yet again, adding many new talented freshmen to its roster and maintaining star players such as midfielder Nathan Richmond and goalkeeper Joseph Andema.
Clemson women’s soccer also had a fantastic season, making it to the ACC Championship game and barely falling to Florida State. The Tigers stayed determined, led by forward Makenna Morris — who was drafted by the Washington Spirit of the NWSL in the offseason — and the rest of the squad made it all the way through the Elite Eight through many battles. A historic year for the Tigers is in store as the team is poised for another dominant season.
Men’s & women’s basketball
Clemson men’s basketball made a historic run in the 2023 season, taking its talents all the way up until the Elite Eight of the NCAA March Madness Tournament and taking down No. 2 Arizona Wildcats on their way. The Tigers’ season ended with a loss against the Alabama Crimson Tide, but the season was still an accomplishment.
Center PJ Hall was the leader in points at center in the ACC, and guards Chase Hunter and Joseph Girard III put up performances in the backcourt.
Despite the departure of Hall and multiple other stars, the future looks bright, as the Tigers brought in multiple talented transfers, including former Duke center Christian Reeves and Illinois State forward Myles Foster.
The major headline for women’s basketball begins with the hiring of their new head coach, former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coach Shawn Poppie. After a regrettable 12-19 season, changes needed to be made, and Poppie stepped in to help drive the Tigers up several notches in their future seasons, starting in 2024.
With nine total transfers added to the roster, changes are indeed being made. A pool of talented players is coming into the program — notably, former four-star guard/forward Jordy Griggs from Kentucky and five-star forward Anya Poole from North Carolina — and development for current players is becoming more complex. It looks to be only up from here for the Tigers in the 2024 season.
Get ready to join the hype as the Tigers take the nation by storm in all they face. Remember to bring clear bags, rep your best game-day outfits and come out with a school spirit that will shake the Southland. Go Tigers!
