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Clemson

Clemson 'in a real good spot' for full capacity, tailgating this fall

Matt Connollyby:Matt Connolly•06/19/21•

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Memorial Stadium will be packed with Clemson fans this fall. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

CLEMSON — Clemson has established itself as providing one of the best gameday atmospheres in the country on Saturdays in the fall.

From tailgating hours before the game, to a raucous environment during it, Tigers fans are regarded as some of the best in the nation.

It was far from a typical gameday experience in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic limited tailgating, as well as the number of fans allowed in the stadium.

However, Tigers Athletics Director Dan Radakovich is planning for a normal football season this fall.

“We’re looking for full capacity; we’re looking for tailgating. We’re looking for all of the things that make a Saturday in Clemson, South Carolina a special football Saturday,” Radakovich said last week on Packer and Durham.

Clemson was limited to about 19,000 fans at Memorial Stadium last season, but the Tigers should get back to having 80,000+ at Death Valley this year.

Clemson has about 59,000 season tickets available for purchase and most of those have already been bought.

“We’re in a great spot,” Radakovich said. “We are at 96 percent renewal. We can only sell 59,000 tickets. We’re at about 56,500, maybe a little closer to 57,000. So we’re in an incredible spot right now.”

Clemson typically plays seven home games in a season, but the Tigers will have six this fall.

Clemson opens the season against Georgia on Sept. 4 in Charlotte, before returning home for their home opener against S.C. State the following weekend.

Clemson also has home games scheduled against Georgia Tech, Boston College, Florida State, UConn and Wake Forest.

The Tigers enter the season having won 28-consecutive home games.

“It’s a testament to our fans. We had so many people who stayed with us from a donation perspective. Last year we were only allowed to have 23-24 percent, so the 18,000 who were able to be in the stadium really made a big difference for us,” Radakovich said. “And we again think that the fans that we have and the home-field advantage will continue to exist.”