Why is Clemson called Death Valley, explained
By Josie Rohach
Clemson’s home turf has been hailed as Death Valley for decades and there is an interesting history behind the stadium’s nickname.
The Clemson Tigers football team calls Memorial Stadium home, but most know the stadium by the name “Death Valley.”
Built in 1942, Clemson’s home field didn’t earn its sinister nickname until 1948. According to Clemson’s official website, the Tigers owe the name to Lonnie McMillian, who dubbed the stadium “Death Valley” after his Presbyterian College team was continuously dominated there. Clemson head coach Frank Howard was gifted a rock from the real Death Valley in California shortly after, and thus the reign of the name was solidified.
The reason behind Clemson football’s Death Valley nickname
After taking a few years to gain traction, the title “Death Valley” has defined the experiences of visiting teams at Clemson since the 50s. The Tigers have won 324 games at home since the stadium’s construction nearly 70 years ago, and currently boast the longest active home winning streak in college football at 30 games. It isn’t often that teams make it out of Death Valley unscathed.
One team that took quite a liking to Clemson’s home nickname is the LSU Tigers, who adopted the name “Death Valley” after beating Clemson in the 1959 Sugar Bowl. No matter who claims the title now, the original Death Valley will always belong to Clemson’s memorial stadium.
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