Tailgating and GameDay Guide to Clemson Tigers Football

GameDay

First off, know where your seats are going to be as far as the elements are concerned. On hot days with daytime kickoffs, there are quite a bit of seats that are not only in the sun but in the sun all friggin’ game. On cold days, these seats are the best but are miserable during hot day games. With night games, you still deal with humidity, but not direct sunshine which is hot and hot-ter after a while.

Some sort of cap with a bill to shade the face is a must. Or one of those hats with a brim all around is ideal to shade not only your face but the backside of your neck as well. Sunglasses and face/neck/arms sunscreen is also recommended. Women who wish to bring in a purse have to have a certain size and it must be a clear exterior so that security and gate personnel can immediately see what you have, so condense your contents and bring only what you need for the game.

For hot days, buy one of those small battery-operated fans which have the bottom that holds water. But instead of water, right before the game pack it with ice. When the ice melts it provides cool water for your face and neck. A washcloth is also helpful. Once at the game, get it wet and simply wipe your face, arms and neck all during the game to stay refreshed.

Games with hot kickoffs are no joke. Most folks are acclimated to air-conditioned environments all week long and in their vehicles, then suddenly they are thrust into the direct heat and sunlight. It drains you and can make the game miserable instead of enjoyable. I could not count how many folks were camped out under the bleachers in the stadium just to get away from the sun and the heat. You look forward to a game and pay good money for a seat that you eventually abandon just because you weren’t prepared and only hear what is happening on the field instead of enjoying the game.

Another cool invention is a double fan contraption that is housed around your neck, with two fans which pivot that lay just below your jawline. Wilove makes these and are USB rechargeable so the costs to maintain are minimal with a purchase price of around $12. They are called “personal neckband fan headphones” and are worth the effort to try to stay somewhat cool.

The same can be said for cold weather days. Beanies, gloves, long johns, double socks, sweaters with jackets, and infinite layers. It is better to take something off and lay it by your seat than to be cold and you need it but instead it sitting in your car.

There is no smoking allowed anywhere on the Clemson campus. Really. Not that smoking does not occur during tailgating, but at the game, you are essentially SOL. You may want to bring some nicotine gum. Stadium security does not allow patrons to re-enter once they leave.

The game itself is awesome, exciting and loud at times. Head coach Dabo Swinney does not simply come off that hill to the sidelines, he sprints and looks like he could suit up if needed. The Clemson home crowd is very knowledgeable about what to do when the other team has the ball as well as when the Tigers are on offense.

When A&M was on offense, just about everyone in the stadium was standing and yelling something in order to make noise, and it paid off over-and-over with many false starts and delay of game penalties. A&M owns the trademark “The 12th Man” but on Clemson game days it is the orange congregate that helps their squad out.

You can hear the quarterback make his calls at the line of scrimmage when the Tigers have the ball – that is how quiet the stadium becomes and most fans sit.

Different cheers are made constantly during the game, but one, in particular, was outstanding and it only happened once. Somewhere near sections C and D on the southside of the stadium, that sector yells out “C” and then the student sections under the video replay board yell out “L” to which the northeastern side responds with “E” and then continues around the stadium to spell out “C-L-E-M-S-O-N” done in a circle pattern. And then when it comes around to the section that started it all, they yell out again “C” and then each section does their part until the word is spelled out a second and third time. It took me by surprise but was an awesome sight to hear.

Just know that when the visiting team has the ball the entire stadium is up on their feet and screaming.

Once the Tigers are on offense is when most folks sit down and become quiet. This is predominately every possession, so calm down and know this is how it is during live games. The lines for concessions are pretty crazy often around 40-50 people deep at all times. The snow cones are an instant way to cool down but do not sell beverages such as water, but the other outlining vendors do.