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ABOUT IPTAY
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IS THE HEART OF
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS.
NO ONE CAN RESIST THE DRAW OF A PACKED VENUE — Solid Orange — the Clemson Tigers ready to take on their opponent. The band, the roar, the pride, the excitement. It’s all a part of what makes Clemson athletics so special to fans, alumni and student-athletes.
In 1934 Clemson had just been defeated 6-0 by The Citadel, and it was not the only defeat that year. Fans were despondent. Joe Davis, Frank Jervey and Peter Hefner asked then-Coach Jess Neely how much money it would take for him to put out a good team. He replied that he thought he could do it with $10,000 a year.
The group decided to ask team supporters for $50 a year, but that amount proved to be too much in the middle of the Great Depression. But Rupert Fike met with other Clemson alums and penned the letter to Coach Neely that officially got the ball rolling: “Dear Coach, last night we had a little meeting at my house and organized the IPTAY Club.”
DEAR COACH, LAST NIGHT WE HAD A LITTLE MEETING AT MY HOUSE AND ORGANIZED THE IPTAY CLUB
