Three Clemson football traditions that could be changed due to COVID-19
The 2020 Clemson football season is going to look different and there’s really no way around it.
While there is hope that the Tigers will take the field this fall as part of a 2020 College Football season, there is still doubt surrounding what it will look like and even if it will happen.
Even if it does happen, colleges around the country are preparing for scenarios that could include limited capacity to fans or no capacity at all for games.
Clemson Athletic Director Dan Radakovich recently spoke with ESPN and said that the Tigers were moving ahead and preparing to have fans at games, but that it was still too early to know what it would look like. Radakovich noted that Clemson has an extra week compared to many other programs across the nation because the Tigers are scheduled to go on the road for the first week of the season.
That being said, he still said that Clemson officials will begin discussing scenarios and implementing decisions over the course of the next month.
As we continue to prepare for the 2020 football season, here are three traditions that could be changed due to COVID-19, even if fans are allowed at games.
*Keep in mind we’re still a long way from the start of the season and none of these things have been confirmed.*
3. Tiger Walk
Tiger Walk has become a pregame tradition unlike any other where Clemson football fans gather down the street outside the West End Zone and cheer on the Tigers as they make their entrance into Death Valley.
Unfortunately, it’s one of those events where policing of people would be extremely difficult. In addition, the Tigers are going to likely want to limit crowd contact with players and coaches.
Instead of Tiger Walk, we very well could see a situation where the buses drop players off right beside the stadium and fans are kept to a limit as a way to promote the safety of players and the coaching staff.
2. Tailgating
There have been plenty of questions about this one and not enough answers.
Tailgating is a Clemson football tradition unlike any other, but there is no way to enforce social distancing. Some states have already seemingly drawn the line and said that tailgating will not be allowed. Others have yet to release guidelines.
Even if tailgating is allowed, Clemson football fans should expect it to look differently.
Parking lots could be held at 50 percent capacity and families could be encouraged to spread out and stay with their own party. Public lots could completely ban tailgating.
In addition, there will be questions about bars, restaurants and retail stores as to how many people will be allowed in at one time and how things are handled. No matter what precautions are taken, it’s clear that things will at least look different in terms of what Tiger fans have come to known as ‘pregame normalcy.’
1. Gathering at the Paw
And then there’s the big gathering at the end of every Tiger football home game.
If you believe things will look different during the pregame portion of a Clemson home game, just wait until the game clock runs out and the alma mater begins to play.
Clemson has a long-standing tradition of fans ‘Gathering at the Paw’ to sing the alma mater with the players and coaching staff. Like a big family, Tiger fans gather on the field and, honestly, it’s an experience unlike any other.
That being said, it’s more than likely not going to happen this year.
Tiger fans could be asked to remain in their seats and exit the stadium in a distanced-manner rather than coming on the field as a way to protect fellow fans, as well as the players and coaches, from transmitting or potentially spreading the virus.