Clemson, East Carolina agree to 2029 season-opening showdown

Clemson and East Carolina have agreed to a future matchup on the gridiron, the schools announced on Friday. In 2029, ECU will travel to Death Valley to play Clemson in the season opener on Sept. 1.

It will be the first time that East Carolina plays at Clemson and the first matchup all time between the two schools. It’s the first time ECU will play an ACC team on the road since 2019.

East Carolina is the third team Clemson has added to the 2029 non-conference slate of games. Alongside the Pirates, the Tigers will also face a pair of rivals: South Carolina and Georgia.

East Carolina joins Georgia and South Carolina on Clemson’s 2029 non-conference slate. 🗓️

See Clemson’s future non-conference opponents here: https://t.co/v0c6tww8xX pic.twitter.com/cCRfzXlhr2

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) June 21, 2024

“We are extremely excited to add Clemson to our schedule,” East Carolina athletic director Jon Gilbert said in a release. “East Carolina is committed to facing high quality non-conference opponents as we continue to showcase our brand across the country. This is another great opportunity to take our program to one of the country’s best college football atmospheres in Memorial Stadium (Death Valley). We continue to try and find the delicate balance between playing guarantee games while also providing a competitive schedule for our program and fans.”

A former Clemson star inked a massive NFL contract extension

The Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence came to terms on a new contract extension, meaning that he will lead the team well into the future.

Since signing his extension, Lawrence met with the media in Jacksonville. There, he explained that one of the biggest reasons for signing the extension is because he and his family see the city as their home.

“Obviously, financially it’s amazing and really sets us up for the future and for the rest of our lives,” Trevor Lawrence said. “So, that’s a huge blessing. Obviously, that’s a big deal, but I think even more than that is the stability of being here for the long term. However many it ends up being…To be able to say that we’re going to be here and have confidence and know that, that means a lot to us and we love it here. It’s become home. Our families love it, our families love visiting here. And we’ve really settled in — this is home for us. So, we wanted to be here long term.”

Trevor Lawrence came into the NFL as a can’t-miss prospect at quarterback who was selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He immediately came into a difficult situation, with the Jaguars struggling in head coach Urban Meyer‘s only season with the team. However, since then, Lawrence and the Jaguars have taken strides forward and he went to the 2022 Pro Bowl and the playoffs.

“Obviously, it’s a place we love to live in and we know that because we’ve had some good and some bad times as far as football goes. So, we’ve kind of experienced both and we love being here either way,” Lawrence said.

“And, obviously, the way the organization’s going and the direction that we’re heading on the football side, that makes it, obviously, a no-brainer for us. We’re headed in the right direction and I want to be the quarterback here. I want to bring a championship to Jacksonville. That’s my goal. And I really know that we can accomplish that. So, I’m excited for that and it just pairs up to where we happen to love living here too.”

The contract itself that Lawrence signed is massive. It is a five-year contract extension with $275 million with $200 million guaranteed and $142 million at signing. That will pay him $55 million annually, which ties him with Joe Burrow for the largest annual deal for a quarterback in the NFL.