Clemson football fans are notorious for feeling like their team doesn’t always get their due from the networks.
While we can debate the merits of Labor Day night games against Georgia Tech and the occasional Friday night contest on the ACC Network, there’s no doubt that the networks love them some Clemson Tigers in 2022.
Monday, it was announced that the Tigers October 15th game in Tallahassee against Florida State will be the Tigers third consecutive night game on ABC.
The Tigers are reaping the recruiting dividends from last weekend’s shellacking of North Carolina State, but the next two nationally televised contests are on the road, first at Boston College this weekend and then on to Tallahassee the following weekend.
This will make five of the first seven games in 2022 night contests for the Tigers, with the Notre Dame game on November 5 already scheduled for an evening contest on NBC.
Theoretically, at least, there are other games that may create primetime interest, if not by ABC or ESPN, then certainly by the ACC Network, as the Tigers still have undefeated Syracuse, Malik Cunningham and Louisville, the perpetually overhyped Miami Hurricanes and star quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and arch rival South Carolina on the schedule.
While the Syracuse game is homecoming and will almost certainly be a day time affair in Death Valley, Louisville, Miami and South Carolina all seem like fairly good candidates for night contests, especially given the atmosphere in Memorial Stadium last Saturday.
Five of the first seven Clemson football games will be held at night, with odds of more to come as long as Tigers remain unbeaten
Of course, all of this is dependent on the Tigers continuing to win, as one loss will likely render Clemson a moot point in the playoffs and reduce the national attraction of Dabo running down the hill at a full sprint.
Clemson fans and staff are fully aware of how recruits are affected by the hype atmosphere of night games, particularly those of national importance and as long as the Tigers remain undefeated, every game the Tigers play has national implications.