| Clemson Tigers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1896; 128 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Graham Neff | ||
| Head coach | Dabo Swinney 15th season, 178–44 (.802) | ||
| Stadium | Memorial Stadium (capacity: 82,000) | ||
| Field | Frank Howard Field | ||
| Year built | 1942 | ||
| Field surface | Natural Grass | ||
| Location | Clemson, South Carolina | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference | ||
| Past conferences | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) (1896–1921) Southern Conference (SoCon) (1921–1952) | ||
| All-time record | 804–473–44 (.625) | ||
| Bowl record | 27–23 (.540) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 6 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) | ||
| Playoff record | 6–4 (.600) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 3 (1981, 2016, 2018) | ||
| National finalist | 4 (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) | ||
| Conference titles | 27 (21 ACC, 4 SIAA, 2 SoCon) | ||
| Division titles | 9 | ||
| Rivalries | Alabama (rivalry) Auburn (rivalry) Florida State (rivalry) Georgia (rivalry) Georgia Tech (rivalry) NC State (rivalry) South Carolina (rivalry) | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 31 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors | Orange and regalia[1] | ||
| Fight song | Tiger Rag | ||
| Mascot | The Tiger | ||
| Marching band | Clemson University Tiger Band | ||
| Outfitter | Nike | ||
| Website | clemsontigers.com | ||
The Clemson Tigers football program are the American football team at Clemson University. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In recent years, the Tigers have been ranked among the most elite college football programs in the United States.[2][3][4]
Formed in 1896, the program has an all-time record of 804–473–44,[5] with a bowl record of 27-23. Clemson was a College Football Playoff finalist in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019, defeating Alabama in both 2016 and 2018 to secure the national title. Clemson has had six undefeated seasons (including the first-ever 15–0 team), boasted six consecutive playoff appearances from 2015 to 2021, and retains 27 conference championships, including 8 since 2011. Its alumni include over 100 All-Americans, 17 Academic All-Americans and over 250 players in the National Football League.[6][7] Clemson has had eight members inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: players Banks McFadden, Terry Kinard, Jeff Davis, and C. J. Spiller along with coaches John Heisman, Jess Neely, Frank Howard, and Danny Ford.
Clemson is one of the founding members of the ACC and holds 21 ACC titles, the most of any member. Its 27 total conference titles, including six consecutive ACC titles from 2015 to 2020, are the most of any ACC school. Clemson's most recent ACC title came in 2022, against North Carolina. Clemson's streak of eleven consecutive 10-win seasons from 2011-2022 ranked second in active streaks behind the Alabama Crimson Tide, coming to an end after Clemson's 2023 season where they finished with a 9-4 record.[8][9] Among its eight undefeated regular seasons, Clemson has been crowned national champion 3 times. Clemson was named poll-era national champion and finished with its third perfect season with a win over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl. Clemson was the National Championship Finalist Runner-up with a 14–1 record in 2015 before winning the National Title over No. 1 Alabama in college football's first National Championship rematch in 2016, and again in 2018. The Tigers have 46 bowl appearances, 20 of which are among the New Year's Six Bowls, including nine during the "Big Four" era. Clemson has 34 finishes in the final top 25 in the modern era and it finished in either the Associated Press final poll or the coaches' final poll a combined 59 times since 1939.
The Tigers play their home games in Memorial Stadium on the university's Clemson, South Carolina campus. The stadium's nickname, "Death Valley" was coined in 1948 by Presbyterian College head coach Lonnie McMillan after his teams were routinely defeated there. Memorial Stadium is among the largest stadiums in college football.
- ^ "Clemson Athletics Style Guide". Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ "College Football Playoff". Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Whicker, Mark (January 5, 2017). "Clemson crashing the party of elite football schools". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Tracy, Marc (December 29, 2018). "Clemson Crushes Notre Dame to Reach Its 3rd National Title Game in 4 Seasons". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "2015 Clemson Football Media Guide" (PDF). Clemson University. 2015. p. 51. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ^ "2011 Clemson Media Guide & Supplement". Clemson Sports Information. 2011. pp. 182–188, 190–194. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ^ Bird, Michael (January 4, 2019). "Bama-Clemson is among America's best sports duopolies ever". SBNation.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Gilliland, Zach (December 29, 2014). "Russell Athletic Bowl 2014: Live Score, Highlights for Oklahoma vs. Clemson". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.