History
1942: Stadium entrance
Running down the Hill began with Memorial Stadium’s opening in 1942.
Checked 2026-10-22 · Sources: Clemson History — official source
2026121 roster entriesSnapshot: 2026-10-02
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History
A practical beginning
The original entrance linked the dressing rooms at Fike Fieldhouse with the stadium.
Checked 2026-10-22 · Sources: Clemson History — official source
History
1966: Rock installed
Howard’s Rock was placed on its pedestal before the 1966 Virginia game.
Checked 2026-10-22 · Sources: Clemson History — official source
History
1967: Touching the Rock
Players began rubbing the Rock before the 1967 home opener.
Checked 2026-10-22 · Sources: Clemson History — official source
History
1970: New locker room
A west end zone dressing room temporarily changed the team’s entrance route.
Checked 2026-10-22 · Sources: Clemson History — official source
History
1972: Hill entrance restored
Senior Ben Anderson advocated restoring the Hill entrance for the South Carolina game.
Checked 2026-10-22 · Sources: Clemson History — official source
History
1972: Pregame bus route
The restored entrance incorporated buses taking players around to the top of the Hill.
Checked 2026-10-22 · Sources: Clemson History — official source
History
1896: The first football season
Clemson’s official game archive begins with a 14–6 win over Furman in Greenville on October 31, 1896. Its three-game opening season also included a loss at South Carolina and a win over Wofford. These are the program’s earliest archived results, preserved as historical context.
Checked 2026-11-01 · Sources: Clemson Football Game-by-Game Archive - Clemson University Athletics
History
1934: IPTAY takes shape
Clemson’s athletics history traces IPTAY to 1934 during Jess Neely’s coaching tenure. It describes 160 supporters contributing ten dollars annually, explaining the name “I Pay Ten A Year.” The organization provided scholarship fundraising support as the football program developed during the 1930s.
Checked 2026-11-01 · Sources: Clemson Athletic Heritage - Clemson University Athletics
History
1981: An unbeaten championship season
Danny Ford’s 1981 Tigers finished 12–0 and won the national championship. Clemson’s athletics history highlights a 13–3 regular-season win over Georgia and the 22–15 season-ending victory over Nebraska. Its account names Terry Kinard, Jeff Bryant, Perry Tuttle and Jeff Davis among that team’s All-Americans.
Checked 2026-11-01 · Sources: Clemson Athletic Heritage - Clemson University Athletics
History
2016 and 2018: More national titles
Clemson’s historical timeline records national championship victories over Alabama on January 9, 2017 and January 7, 2019, concluding the 2016 and 2018 seasons respectively. The first was a 35–31 win sealed by Hunter Renfrow’s late touchdown reception. The second, 44–16, completed a 15–0 season.
Checked 2026-11-01 · Sources: Clemson Football Historical Timeline - Clemson University Athletics
These sourced summaries are prepared with AI assistance and checked against the linked material. They are not independently audited or presented as human-reviewed. Please verify details with the original sources; checked dates are not promises of live updates.