Clemson Athletics Director Graham Neff spoke to the board of trustees at its winter quarterly meeting this past Friday, emphasizing the current and future progress of the University’s athletics department.
In his presentation, Neff provided updates on the construction of three athletic facilities, student-athlete GPAs and football personnel.
The athletic facilities currently undergoing construction include the Watt Family Performance and Wellness Center, Littlejohn Coliseum and Swann Pavilion.
Construction of the Watt Family Performance and Wellness Center commenced about a year ago and will open later this spring with a ribbon cutting. Neff noted during the meeting that the “high-impact, high-utility” facility will be available “day to day” for the student-athletes of 18 of Clemson’s 21 sports by this summer. The facility will be a center for strength and conditioning, sports medicine, nutrition and more.
Neff also noted that the center’s “incredible” location on Perimeter Road and close proximity to Tiger Walk will result in a high volume of activity.
“We look to roll out some opportunities of that type of engagement and revenue generation, quite frankly, to add to our tailgating scene on those important Saturdays,” Neff said in reference to football game days.
Further, Phase II of the Littlejohn Coliseum and Swann Pavilion renovation project was approved this past fall by the board of trustees and state committees. Both facilities will be under construction for the entirety of 2025, with some phasing happening “in and out of the basketball seasons.”
There will be “some completion” in 2026, according to Neff. This renovation project will help with allowing “alleviation” for gymnastics, alongside men’s and women’s basketball, in Littlejohn Coliseum.
Neff also updated the board on student-athlete academics. In fall 2024, Clemson’s 572 student-athletes, both undergraduate and graduate, earned a cumulative GPA of 3.34.
This past semester marked the 13th semester in a row, since the fall of 2018, that all student-athletes achieved a GPA equal to or greater than a 3.0. Additionally, Neff mentioned that Clemson’s athletic department continues to uphold its position as one of the public Power Five institutions with a graduation success rate of 96%.
Earlier in the meeting, the board approved the hire of Kevin Kelly to become the director of player evaluation and acquisition for two years, through Jan. 31, 2027. Kelly’s annual salary will be $360,000. He previously served as the director of college scouting for the Los Angeles Chargers.
The board also approved the one-year contract extension of eight football coaches, coordinators and directors, plus the same contract extension and a salary increase for seven other personnel. This approval means that their employment will continue through Jan. 31, 2027.
The individuals to receive both contract extensions and salary increases include Kyle Richardson, Tyler Grisham, CJ Spiller, Woody McCorvey, Jordan Sorrells, Mike Dooley and Jeff Davis.
