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Will Wade provides hilarious context on Clemson fandom, facing alma mater in NCAA Tournament

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•about 11 hours•

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Will Wade
Nov 11, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade gives instructions to his players from the bench during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images

Will Wade either got a dream or nightmare scenario in McNeese State‘s NCAA Tournament first-round matchup. A graduate of Clemson, Wade will go head-to-head against Brad Brownell in a five vs. 12-seed matchup. He certainly will not be cheering for the Tigers on Thursday afternoon but in the fall, there is nothing more important to him than Clemson football.

When Dabo Swinney‘s team takes the field, all attention is going there. Wade provided some context to his fandom on Wednesday and said his players are aware there is no practice during Clemson football games. Playing in the ACC Championship game even switched around the gameday routine.

“All the players know — we don’t practice when Clemson plays football,” Wade said. “They’ve always got those three hours. We had to change our pregame schedule around the ACC title game this year … It’s no secret to them”

McNeese State played LeTourneau on Dec. 7, the same day Clemson faced SMU in the ACC Championship game. Wade must have been a happy camper that day as he got to enjoy two wins. Clemson took home another conference title and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff while his own team improved to 5-4 on the season due to a 103-69 victory.

If there is a potential bump in the road for Wade’s love for Clemson, it might be taking the NC State job. After the Wolfpack fired Kevin Keatts, Wade has been linked with being his replacement. He even confirmed on Wednesday there have been conversations held with NC State.

Wade publicly supporting Clemson would be hard for a lot of NC State fans to stomach. Even though the two do not face each other during the 2025 regular season, the Tigers are still a big-time ACC foe. In a world where Wade does get the NC State job, Dave Doeren would surely have a new supporter.

For now, all focus for Wade is making a run in the NCAA Tournament. McNeese State is in the dance for a second consecutive season after winning the Southland Conference Tournament. Last year did not go to plan, dropping a first-round matchup to Gonzaga. The Cowboys were also a five-seed.

A more familiar logo will be on the other side this go-round. Taking down his alma mater might be extra special for Wade, even if he still has Clemson running through his veins during football season.