Elite 8

Published exclusively for donors to the Clemson University IPTAY scholarship fund

CLEMSON MEN’S BASKETBALL MADE THE ELITE EIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1980.

READ MORE INSIDE 2023-24

ISSUE 6

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VOLUME 15, ISSUE 6

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I N S I DE

STA FF CO-EDITORS

Ashby Burton Kelsey Tibbs Ben Winterrowd

ART DIRECTOR Kelsey Tibbs

COVER PHOTO

Clemson Athletics

CONTRIBUTORS

Trent Alley Tim Bourret Ashby Burton Morgan Eakin Jonathan Franchi Autumn Froitland Brian Hennessy Jeff Kallin Billy Milam Don Munson Chris Perry Carson Riley Ross Taylor Ben Winterrowd

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Carl Ackerman Jada Allred Makenna Biehl Nathanael Birchfield Ashby Burton Collections & Archives Ella Drake Sam Frost Alex Horton Jackson Jones Jeff Kallin Matt Kamph Megan Kinner Mark Knipstein Peter McLean Dawson Powers Kelsey Tibbs Blaze Watson

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RAISING THE BAR

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HEAD COACH BRAD BROWNELL TIMELINE

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SPIRIT SQUADS AT NATIONALS

Orange: The Experience is published six times annually exclusively for donors to the IPTAY Scholarship Fund. A minimum priority contribution is $60, but contributions of all amounts are welcome. To join IPTAY, call 864-656-2115 or log on to ClemsonTigers.com/IPTAY. To advertise in this publication, contact Mike Money by email at mmoney@clemson.edu If you have recently changed an address or phone number, please call the IPTAY office at 864-656-2115 or visit ClemsonTigers.com and click on the IPTAY tab. You may also send your name, IPTAY number, new mailing address, email address or phone number to: IPTAY, P.O. Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633.

THE INAUGURAL YEAR

Clemson Gymnastic's surpassed almost all expectations in its first year as a program, and left fans with every reason to think it’s just going to get better.

Clemson Men's Basketball is tied for 15th nationally with two Sweet 16 appearances since 2018 and made the program’s first Elite Eight since1980.

Clemson’s all-time winningest coach and the only coach to lead Clemson to multiple Sweet 16 appearances.

Clemson's Spirit programs competed at the 2024 NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championships.

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JERVEY GYM UPGRADES & ACES CLUB MEMBERSHIP

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MORE THAN A MILESTONE

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PROGRESSION TO CLEMSON

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THE ARC

Volleyball continues to strive for excellence with upgrades and improvements on and off the court.

50 Years of Varsity Women’s Athletics at Clemson.

Natalie Honnen’s progressive journey landed her in Clemson Athletics 10 years ago where she has worked her way to a prominent role.

The Clemson Athletic Recovery Center is a world-class performance facility.

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LUCAS GLOVER

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A LANDMARK MONTH

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Clemson's Lucas Glover reaches a milestone moment as he was presented with the Order of the Palmetto.

May 2024 will be remembered as the month both Clemson Men's and Women's Golf programs made history in their respective national tournaments.

​​K NAAKING DOWN THE DOOR

Freshman righthander Aidan Knaak made an immediate impact in his first season at Clemson.

​​E MPOWERING TIGERS Inside Clemson's NIL program.

D E PARTM E NT S

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2024 ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

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IPTAY LEGACY: DOUG KINGSMORE’S STORY

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Clemson Athletics, Block C Club announce 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Planting the seeds for the future of Clemson: Doug Kingsmore’s story told by his son, Mike Kingsmore.

CLEMSON ROAD SHOW MAKES FIVE STOPS IN 2024 The new event brought Clemson to cities across the Carolinas.

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From the Desk of Davis Babb PAWsitive Press Block C Club Spotlight Beyond the Game From the Broadcast Booth IBOD President's Column Photo of the Issue Donor Photos The Last Word

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Fellow Tigers,

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NOTHER ACADEMIC YEAR HAS COME AND GONE, AND THIS ONE seemed to go by faster than ever! With a lot of excitement in Tiger Town, and changes across the collegiate athletic landscape, time seems to be moving at an unprecedented pace. This time is always a highlight of the year for me.

Watching Clemson students earn their degrees and be celebrated for their accomplishments makes me smile. More than 4,000 Clemson students earned their degrees this year during the annual spring commencement ceremonies. Of that, 104 were Clemson student-athletes, an additional 18 were in spirit squads, and 69 served as athletics and IPTAY student support staff. We are extremely proud of these Tigers and their accomplishments and wish them the best in their future endeavors!

Success continues in athletic competition for the Tigers during the spring sports season. Baseball continues to be ranked among the top teams in the country, softball has built upon its firm foundation, lacrosse completed its second season in competition, and first in the Clemson Lacrosse Complex, both tennis programs built critical infrastructure under first year head coaches, and both golf programs excelled in the postseason. Women’s golf reached the final eight and men’s golf advanced after winning their regional. Indeed, it is an exciting time for all our athletics programs!

The support of IPTAY during the 2024 year has been incredible. We couldn’t do what we do without each of you!

Football season ticket requests continue to remain high, and the dollars raised by IPTAY will be utilized to bring more championships and success to Clemson. Thank you for helping Clemson remain second to none in support of our student-athletes. As we look ahead to the fall, don’t forget about the membership benefits available to you. As an IPTAY member, you are eligible to request season tickets if you have not already done so. Resources for tickets and parking remain active and can be found at the QR code below.

In the past year, we have heard your feedback on accessing IPTAY for all donation and benefit-related questions. That is a priority for us and with that feedback in mind, we have created the IPTAY Development and Member Services Team.

This team, led by Logan Welch, is designed to serve our more than 20,000 annual fund donors by answering questions and helping guide decisions on donation levels regarding tickets 4 | ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | ISSUE 6 | 2023-24

and parking. Logan’s team comprises two full-time staff members, Nash Newberry and Mac McAlhany. This team will be growing with the addition of Ryan Blanchard and Andrew Patterson, both recent graduates of Clemson University. We are incredibly excited about this team and their ability to support all donors.

As support of IPTAY remains crucial, so does the support of the 110 Society and their NIL initiatives. It’s on all of us to help Clemson remain competitive in athletic competition, and in the current landscape of college athletics. This is one of the best ways to get involved. For more information on NIL and your involvement, I encourage you to visit 110Society. com and read the resources provided later in this issue.

Over the last two months, we have enjoyed bringing Clemson around the states of North and South Carolina in the format of the all-new Clemson Road Show. The response to the change in format, including location, program, and accessibility, has been phenomenal. Our head coaches and IPTAY staff have been pleased with the turnouts at each location and the opportunity to bring Clemson to you. As we begin to celebrate the 90th anniversary of IPTAY, events like these speak to the grassroots nature of our organization.

As we approach the end of another IPTAY year, I want to reiterate our gratitude for your support. The IPTAY 2024 year is on pace to be among the best of our 90-year history. Your generosity and willingness to continually support the Clemson Tigers keeps propelling Clemson forward. The success of Clemson Athletics is impossible without you!

Go Tigers!

Davis Babb IPTAY CEO

FOOTBALL PARKING

110 SOCIETY

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172,000

LOTTERY-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO CLEMSON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SINCE 2002.

PALMETTO FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIP LIFE SCHOLARSHIP

S.C. HOPE SCHOLARSHIP

S.C. NEED BASED GRANTS

S.C. GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATES LOTTERY FUNDS EACH YEAR.

THE INAUGURAL YEAR CLEMSON GYMNASTICS SURPASSED ALMOST ALL EXPECTATIONS IN ITS FIRST YEAR AS A PROGRAM, AND LEFT FANS WITH EVERY REASON TO THINK IT’S JUST GOING TO GET BETTER.

BY CHANDLER SIMPSON

“

W

E’RE GOING TO CREATE A PARTY IN LITTLEJOHN. LOUD MUSIC, ALL that stuff. These girls are going to bring it and it’s going to be amazing.”

When Clemson head coach Amy Smith met with the media in October, during the Tigers’ first practice inside Littlejohn Coliseum, she made promises. Promises of entertainment, of a party, of energy and resilience… …and, man, did the Tigers deliver.

In their inaugural season, the Clemson Gymnastics team put on a show that almost no one expected, except for Smith and the rest of team one, of course.

Almost 2,500 people showed up to the free Clemson 101 exhibition meet in December. It was the public’s first chance to get a look at what the first year of Clemson gymnastics would look like and how a meet would run. Coach Smith took the mic and taught the crowd to chant “10!” when a gymnast excelled at their routine, taught the team to chant when an athlete would stick the landing, and gave a brief overview of how a gymnastics meet would run.

The momentum from that event carried over into the regular season, with 8,018 fans packing into Littlejohn to watch the Tigers defeat William & Mary, 196.325-190.050, to vault the program into competitive existence. The 196.325 was the highest score ever recorded by a team in their first meet in NCAA gymnastics history.

Rebecca Wells, Clemson’s first gymnast to officially compete and the Tigers’ first all-around winner, summed it up in one word - fun.

“It was so fun. The crowd was electric, and it just made the atmosphere insane tonight,” the Smyrna, Tenn. native said.

“I could feel it on the floor, and honestly, on every event. It just pumped us up so much and helped us a lot. We had an idea of how many tickets were sold before, but I didn’t think it was close to 8,000 people. Eight thousand people to me is insane, and we appreciate the support so much.”

A handful of firsts were recorded against William & Mary, including: · First Gymnast to officially compete: Rebecca Wells · First 9.900 Score: Lilly Lippeat (Bars) · First Vault Champion: Lauren Rutherford · First Bars Champion: Lilly Lippeat · First Beam Champion: Rebecca Wells · First Floor Champion: Brie Clark · First All-Around Champion: Rebecca Wells It took the Tigers exactly one meet to jump into the national rankings, clocking in at No. 19 on Road To Nationals following the win over W&M. The 19th-ranked Tigers then turned their attention to the first ACC meet in program history, welcoming Pittsburgh to Littlejohn Coliseum. 8,631 fans poured into Littlejohn, marking the program’s first sellout, to see the Tigers earn their first ACC win. The meet was highlighted by Brie Clark’s Boyz II Men tracked floor routine, a fan-favorite, where she earned a 9.925, the first on any event for the Tigers.

Clemson headed up to Chapel Hill for its first-ever road meet the following week and continued to impress. The Tigers earned their highest score of the season, 196.550, casually won every event, and kept the early momentum going, putting the rest of the country on notice.

As the inaugural season moved into February, the Tigers were hit with their first round of adversity. Sickness and injury made it through the roster and in Clemson’s February 2 meet against NC State, the Tigers were without some of their key pieces, falling to the Wolfpack, 196.300-195.600.

Clemson rebounded with a win at Pitt, then turned their attention to a rematch against NC State, this time in Raleigh.

Wells turned in the meet of her career, earning a 9.900 or better on three events to total a 39.550, but finished second ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 7

in the all-around by just 0.200. The Tigers ended up having to count falls on two events and fell to the Wolfpack for the second time.

On February 23, Clemson returned to Littlejohn with 8,631 screaming fans for the ‘Pink Meet’ and put up the best performance of the year to that point, earning the program’s first 197-team score. Freshman Sierra Church highlighted the meet with a 9.925 win on beam and then delivered one of the most moving moments of the year. Church’s cousin, who had just finished treatment for breast cancer, was honored on the floor at the end of the meet and got to ring the bell signifying the end of her cancer journey with Church by her side.

The Tigers flew out to Texas for their first quad meet, a meet that included Clemson and three others, including reigning national champion Oklahoma. Another steady performance gave Clemson another 196 to add to its National Qualifying score before the Tigers flew back to Clemson for the final home meet of the year.

Clemson dominated the meet against Air Force, in front of a fourth-straight sellout crowd. The Tigers’ only nonreturning senior, Kaitlin DeGuzman, was honored post-meet and celebrated her senior night by tying her career-high on bars with a 9.925 to claim the event title. Brie Clark’s crowdfavorite floor routine earned a 10 from one of the judges and the Tigers posted their highest score of the year, 197.600, to close out the home portion of the first-ever season in style.

The Tigers then hit the road for the final time during the regular season and headed out west to Amy Smith’s alma mater, UCLA. The Tigers fell to the historical powerhouse, but Molly Arnold’s 9.975, including a 10.0 from one judge, was the highlight of the meet.

With the regular season behind them, Smith’s Tigers could turn their attention to the postseason. First up - the ACC Championship.

Clemson finished second behind NC State at ACCs in Greensboro, N.C., but it was the post-meet awards that really turned the mood around for the Tigers. Redshirt freshman Lilly Lippeatt was named the Newcomer of the Year, while Smith was voted as the league’s Coach of the Year. Six athletes earned nine All-ACC honors and seven athletes earned 11 ACC All-Championship Team honors.

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As the team gathered in their facility to watch the NCAA Selection show, the mood was high. The Tigers, ranked No. 30 in the Road to Nationals NQS rankings, knew they were into their first NCAA tournament, but “where?” was causing the build-in anticipation. It wasn’t long into the show Clemson found out their fate - a first-round meeting with Iowa State in Gainesville, Fla. Four Tigers were selected as individual qualifiers, meaning that even if the team didn’t advance, those four would get a chance to compete as individuals for a spot to head to the NCAA Championship.

The Tigers would eventually drop the first-round meet to Iowa State by just 0.250, ending the record-breaking year, but what a year it was.

The list of firsts and “brags” is extensive. The Tigers scored 196.325 in the inaugural meet, the highest score ever recorded by a team in their first meet. Clemson holds the distinction of the highest score in the ACC this season (197.600 vs Air Force). The Tigers finished the regular season ranked No. 30 (NQS) and finished No. 35 in Final RTN rankings and were selected to the NCAA Tournament with four NCAA Individual Qualifiers (1 AA; 1 BB; 2 FX; 1 VT). The first-year program finished second at ACCs, earned 11 ACC “Of the Week” award winners, had 12 individuals named to the ACC All-Academic Team, had six athletes earned nine All-ACC honors and seven athletes earned 11 ACC All-Championship Team honors.

The Tigers sold out four of five home meets, finished 8th nationally in average home attendance (8,508), 11th nationally in max home attendance (due to arena size) (8,631), and 8th nationally in total home attendance (42,542).

Amy Smith was named the ACC Coach of the Year, Lilly Lippeatt was named the ACC Newcomer of the Year, and Stephanie Ellison-Johnson was named WCGA Administrator of the Year.

The bar is set high for Team Two, but the Tigers return almost everyone from Team One and finish the year with some unmet expectations. Smith and the Tigers will be ready to top what they did in the inaugural season and promise an even bigger party, with even more fun and energy.

And not many are doubting that the Tigers can deliver.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 9

PAWSITIVE PRESS HIGHLIGHTING CLEMSON’S TOP PERFORMERS IN ATHLETICS

MADDIE MOORE Softball | Junior

Moore earned First Team All-ACC honors as an infielder. She finished the regular season with a .368 batting average, .639 slugging percentage and .477 on-base percentage. She added ten home runs, eight doubles and two triples, scoring 38 runs and driving in 39.

BLAKE WRIGHT Baseball | Senior

Wright was named one of 25 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award and was named second-team All-ACC. Entering the NCAA Tournament, he is hitting .341 with 21 homers, 70 RBIs, 63 runs and a .664 slugging percentage.

MARIE FORBES Track & Field | Junior

Forbes won the women’s discus and women’s hammer throw at the Penn Relays. She is the first woman since at least 2000 to win both in the same year. She was named ACC Field Performer of the Week for her performances.

ANNABELLE PANCAKE Women's Golf | Senior

Pancake finished nine-under-par at the 2024 NCAA Bryan Regional. She shot 71-66-70 for a 207 total to help lead Clemson to a tie for second overall in the regional. Pancake became Clemson’s third Women’s Golf All-American after a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships, where the Tigers advanced to the Quarterfinals.

RYUHEI AZUMA Men's Tennis | Senior

For the second consecutive season, Azuma was named to the All-ACC Singles Third Team. He recorded 12 singles wins for Clemson and was consistently ranked in the Top 125 in the country in singles.

CAM CANNARELLA Baseball | Sophomore

Cannarella was named ACC Player of the Week on April 29. He ended the regular season with nine homers, 16 doubles, three tripples, 51 RBIs, 54 runs, an .560 slugging percentage, .422 on-base percentage and a .342 batting average. He also earned third-team All-ACC honors.

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BOBBY CONRAD

BY TIM BOURRET

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HIS YEAR WAS A HECTIC AND REWARDING WINTER FOR THE Clemson Men’s Basketball team, and that was the case for former Clemson point guard, Bobby Conrad. The Tigers reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1980, where Conrad was the starting point guard and one of the team leaders for the 1980 Clemson Men’s Basketball team.

This past January, February, and March, while the Tigers were making their run, Conrad was going through the process of becoming the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

On January 11, Conrad was in Washington, D.C. to interview with Supreme Court Justice John Roberts.

Conrad was offered and accepted the director position on the spot. The next day, Conrad drove to Clemson to attend Clemson’s Basketball alumni weekend and witness Clemson’s victory over Boston College.

A few days later, in a press release, Chief Justice Roberts declared that Conrad would become the new director. He still carries a reduced caseload as Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District.

So much for slowing down in your 60’s.

In his position as Director of the Administrative Office, Conrad is the chief administrative officer of the federal courts. He serves under the direction of the Judicial Conference of the United States, the principal policymaking body for the federal court system.

Conrad has full-time responsibility for managing the administrative office, which has over 1,000 employees and provides administrative support to 2,400 judicial officers, over 28,000 court employees, and Federal Defender Employees around the nation.

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How big is this job? All you need to know is that Conrad answers directly to Chief Justice Roberts, whom he meets with every week.

Chief Justice Roberts said of Conrad’s appointment, “I welcome Judge Conrad to his new position. His long service to our branch in many important capacities makes him well suited to lead the AO in tackling the issues that the Judiciary faces now and in the years ahead.”

Conrad resides in Charlotte and now has a hectic schedule. “My week usually begins with a flight to Washington, D.C. on Monday and a return to Charlotte either Thursday night or Friday night,” said Conrad.

“Some weeks I will have court in Charlotte on Monday morning, but I will spend the majority of my work weeks in Washington, D.C., or on travel to speak at circuit judicial conferences around the country.”

Conrad has been in his new role for a few months but has enjoyed the challenge. “It is an exciting challenge to lead the federal judiciary, in a sense being the point guard for that branch of government.”

While his office is in the Thurgood Marshall Building, just three blocks from the Supreme Court, one of his responsibilities is to address the 13 national judicial conferences.

“It amazes me how often I resort to the teachings of Clemson Basketball Coach Bill Foster in explaining how we are going to succeed as a team.”

“Coach Foster used all kinds of sayings that were basic in nature, but they still apply today, quaint sayings such as, ‘There is no “I” in team,’ or, ‘It is amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.’”

“These sayings and 100 more like them shape our life perspectives, and I use them in this new role to promote the team concept in the judiciary.”

Conrad has been very active at Clemson over the years, serving on the IPTAY Board of Directors and as a voting member of the Athletic Hall of Fame committee. His new job will force him to take a leave of absence from those responsibilities. However, Conrad has not taken a leave of absence as a Clemson fan. The two-year starter who took a still record 32 charges in 1978-79, and a record 56 for his career, took great delight in no longer being the only starting point guard to guide Clemson to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

“This year’s Clemson Basketball team certainly, made this former student-athlete proud,” said Conrad, who was recruited to Clemson from Illinois by Foster in 1976.

“I was proud of how the team played and the way they carried themselves on and off the court. They were great representatives of the University.”

“What stood out to me was the players who stepped up from game to game. It was a complete team effort and it was so exciting to see the team clicking on all cylinders in the NCAA Tournament against elite opposition.”

Conrad was an Academic All-American at Clemson who won the Clemson Norris Medal as the school’s outstanding student for the 1979-80 academic year. He graduated magna cum laude then earned his law degree from the University of Virginia. In 2015, Conrad was presented with the Clemson Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Association.

Conrad made the Clemson Basketball program proud 40 years ago and is still doing so today.

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BEYOND THE GAME

CAMERON ROSE T R ACK & FIEL D | SENIOR | H A R R ISBURG , N.C.

BY AUTUMN FROITLAND

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE SPORT OF TRACK & FIELD? CR: I started when I was seven years old.

I’m from Charlotte, N.C., and I ran for the Charlotte Heat Track Club. It really started with my mom though, she was a preschool teacher so I went to her school and I would be running around at recess.

When they would call us in from recess, we would go to the back of the field and when they called us we would all run and I would always be the first person back.

She saw that I was fast so she took me to the Charlotte Heat Track Club when I was seven, and that’s when I really started running.

YOU HAVE A FAMILY LEGACY HERE AT CLEMSON SO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW CLEMSON WAS INGRAINED INTO YOUR CHILDHOOD GROWING UP. CR: My dad playing football here was a huge part of it but not only that, we were just Clemson fans as regular people. We just always liked Clemson Football, obviously because he played but growing up, I had gone to a lot of Clemson games. My parents met here, and my mom is from Seneca. We have family here so we were always in the area. Once I started running track, there were times where we would go to a game and they would take me to Clemson’s

Track & Field when I was just a kid. I remember one time we took a picture at the track and who knew that I would end up practicing there so it’s just how life works. I’m an old Clemson fan so not the Trevor Lawrence era but way before that like with Tajh Boyd, and my favorite player was Sammy Watkins.

WHEN THE TEAM WON THE ACC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, YOU WERE A HUGE PART OF IT BECAUSE IT CAME DOWN THE MEN’S 4X400 RELAY. HOW DID THAT FEEL? CR: I think my adrenaline was going all day because I think I had run four events that day. My family was there and I didn’t even get to see them until way later. I ran the 100, we won the 4x100 and then I ran the 200 and finally the 4x400. I wasn’t even keeping track of points, I was just running. Then they told us right before the 4x4 that it was going to come down to this and we had a great race that day. I think we broke the ACC record so we were very confident in our performance.

IN ADDITION TO WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP, YOU WERE ALSO CROWNED THE MEN’S TRACK MVP. HOW DID IT FEEL TO GET THAT AWARD ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED? CR: I knew I scored a lot of points because I was running all day but I didn’t even know I won MVP until somebody came up to me and told me, “You won MVP.” Since I was running all day, I was more worried about winning. I definitely felt proud of that accomplishment, that I was able to contribute that much to the team.

HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF ATHLETICS AND ACADEMICS? CR: I was a part of UPIC and Paw Pals. UPIC definitely was fun. As a marketing major I did my internship with the marketing department. That was definitely fun because a lot of the people that were teaching me got to see me on a different level. They were able to understand more of what I do from a track perspective, and I was able to understand what they do from a marketing perspective. Paw Pals was honestly just fun because you go to an elementary school and you get to talk to a kid once a week. It’s funny because my kid’s name was actually Cam so we had the same name, it was fun.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 15

THIS MOMENT IN

HISTORY Cliff Hammonds, a 2008 graduate, was awarded the inaugural Skip Prosser Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in the ACC. He was a double major in architecture and psychology, while being a five-time Dean’s List honoree and an ACC Weaver-James-Corrigan postgraduate scholarship recipient.

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ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 17

RAISING THE BAR CLEMSON IS TIED FOR 15TH NATIONALLY WITH TWO SWEET 16 APPEARANCES SINCE 2018 AND MADE THE PROGRAM’S FIRST ELITE EIGHT SINCE 1980.

BY BEN WINTERROWD

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NLY ONCE HAD CLEMSON BEEN TO AN ELITE EIGHT, AND ONLY four times had the Tigers been to a Sweet 16. To add perspective, three times as many American astronauts have walked on the moon compared to Clemson’s Sweet 16 appearances. Now Clemson has been to the second weekend twice in the last six seasons, including the program’s secondever Elite Eight appearance – with 44 years separating the two. History made.

Sunday, March 12, 2023, is a day that Tiger fans and the Clemson Basketball staff and players will remember forever.

Clemson was snubbed from an NCAA Tournament appearance after a 23-win season, including a program record 14 ACC wins, not to mention two All-League players in Hunter Tyson and PJ Hall.

That moment fueled the fire for 2024.

Leave No Doubt Clemson lost All-ACC First Team member and team captain Hunter Tyson to the 2023 NBA Draft after he was selected 37th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder (pick traded to Denver Nuggets). They also lost Brevin Galloway and Ben Middlebrooks as they looked to reload for another run at the NCAA Tournament.

A great core was returning for Head Coach Brad Brownell’s team, but there were a few pieces that still needed to be ironed out before the roster was finalized.

Enter guard Joseph Girard III. A veteran of 125 games in the ACC with league foe Syracuse, Girard helped stabilize the backcourt with Chase Hunter and boost the team’s distance shooting, which later proved to be historic. Adding Girard was a coup for the basketball staff, who also brought in Jack Clark (NC State) and Bas Leyte (UNCG).

Fully reloaded after 2023, there was a chip on the shoulder of everyone in 2024, and it showed early in the season.

The Tigers won their season opener against Winthrop before claiming their second regular season tournament

championship in the last four years with victories over UAB and Davidson at the Asheville Championship. They won home games against perennial NCAA Tournament member Boise State and Alcorn State and were 5-0 heading into the first annual ACC/SEC Challenge.

Built For This Coach Brownell’s message to the team in Tuscaloosa was that they were “built for this.” The message was when the Tigers play at their best, they can compete with anyone, anytime and anywhere.

“I told the team, we’re built for this. We have an older group, we’re experienced, we were a good team last year.

We need to weather the storm,” Brownell recalled telling the team after Alabama made a run in the second half.

The Tigers in 2023-24 were certainly built to take another team’s best punch and respond. It was key for them during a difficult stretch in November and December.

The game against Alabama started a demanding stretch of games for the Tigers that included a road game at the Crimson Tide, road game at Pittsburgh, home to South Carolina, neutral site game against TCU and a road game at Memphis.

Clemson came out of that stretch 4-1 and was playing some of its best basketball.

The Tigers finished the non-conference slate of games 10-1 and were 11-1 before the start of the New Year with their first ACC victory over Pittsburgh.

Taking Punches Clemson opened the New Year ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press Poll. They dropped the next three games and finished January with a 3-5 record. They began February with another gut-punching one-point loss to Virginia.

The Tigers stood at 4-6 in the ACC, which included onepoint losses to Virginia and at Duke, while dropping a home game in overtime to Georgia Tech that they led 68-59 with 1:43 to go in the second half.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 19

“Guys, we need to understand something,” Brownell recalled telling his team after the Virginia game. “I think some of you guys think we’re the 10-1 team. Right now, we’re the 4-6 team. If we go 4-6 again, we won’t be playing in the NCAA Tournament. That would be a shame because of what you did the first two months of the year, but also because I think we’re good enough to go to the Final Four.”

Historic February The Tigers stood at 4-6 in the ACC and faced something only one Clemson team had ever accomplished, succeeding in a road test at No. 3 North Carolina. The team’s focus and preparation were reminiscent of November and December as they prepared for battle in the Dean Dome.

Clemson raced out to a 15-2 lead against the Tar Heels in the opening three-and-a-half minutes of the game, setting the tone. North Carolina would make a run, but the Tigers held firm and led by nine at halftime.

Every punch the Tar Heels threw, Clemson dodged or answered. In a game the Tigers led for 38:22, it was tied twice. The Tar Heels’ Harrison Ingram brought the game back square with a 3-pointer to knot it at 70-all.

The Tigers responded with an emphatic 7-0 run to shut the door on its second victory all-time in Chapel Hill and its second in three tries dating back to 2020.

An emotional mid-week road victory can be hard to follow, especially when the next game is a noon Saturday game on the road. The turnaround was quick and emotions remained high as the Tigers looked to climb back to .500 in the league. After scoring 21 points to aid PJ Hall’s 25 and Ian Schieffelin’s double-double at Carolina, Joseph Girard III was returning to Syracuse.

As surreal as it was to witness, Girard returned home to lots of cheers and lots of boos. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the visiting locker room at the JMA Wireless Dome, formerly known as the Carrier Dome. After all, he was 2-0 in there after winning two state football championships at Glens Falls High School.

Girard didn’t force anything. He let the game come to him.

A team that knew him well didn’t make it easy, but Girard broke through with his first triple at the 11:01 mark of the first half. It was part of an explosive 17-1 run by Clemson who would lead by 13 at the break.

Like earlier that week, the Tigers got out to a big lead and were sustaining it in a tough road environment. Their 20 | ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | ISSUE 6 | 2023-24

mentality reflected what Coach Brownell told the team in November; they were built for this.

Staving off the hungry home team was no easy feat. The Orange brought the game even at 60-60 with 3:37 to go.

Almost like it was scripted, a 7-0 run ensued for the Tigers: Hall bucket, Chase Hunter jumper, Schieffelin 3-pointer and it was 67-60 in one minute and 43 seconds.

As the Tigers looked to close the book on what turned out to be a tremendous storybook ending, Girard added some magic that so often happens in sports. Closing out the game at the free throw line, Girard finished 4-4 in the final minute to seal the win and finish with a game-high 18 points. Coming into the game, he was exactly 18 points shy of 2,000 for his career. Yes, you can be romantic about basketball.

Clemson used the momentum of that week and polished off February with a glistening 6-2 record, its third-most wins in the month in program history. They were right back in the thick of an NCAA Tournament bid.

March Madness Clemson went 1-3 in March, which included a 22-point loss to Boston College in the second round of the ACC Tournament. There was a bleakness to the rest of the Tigers’ season from the outside, but inside, it re-focused a hungry group who had expected themselves to accomplish much more.

Then the Tigers were selected as the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament and facing No. 11 New Mexico.

“It’s a special tournament, it’s one of the biggest sporting events in the country and the world…it was one of the goals this year, but it’s a checkpoint,” said Hall after the Selection Show. “We’re not just looking to get there. We want to make a run and continue to advance.”

“It’s a reset,” said Girard.

Hunter added, “We’ve got another tournament and more games to prove ourselves.”

Many pundits were taking turns kicking the Tigers while they were down following the ACC Tournament, and Clemson was picked by ESPN as the No. 1 upset pick of the tournament’s first round – as if the team needed any more motivation in a return to Memphis where the Tigers had played earlier in the year.

Clemson came out and smacked New Mexico in the mouth.

With the score 11-9 in favor of the Tigers, Clemson would go on a 19-0 run to blow the game wide open. It would lead by as many as 23 in the second half, racing away to a 77-56 thrashing.

The Tigers returned to face No. 3 seeded Baylor who did much the same against its first-round opponent, Colgate.

Clemson used a couple of runs in the opening stanza to build a lead before Chase Hunter’s heroics at the end of the first half on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer extended the lead to 10.

Clemson led by as many as 15 in the second half with Baylor cutting the deficit to just two with 2:19 left. From that point, the Tigers finished 8-for-8 at the foul line to seal the 72-64 victory and advance to just their fifth Sweet 16 in history and the second since 2018.

The celebration in the locker room was everything one would expect from an emotional, hungry ball club that was playing its best basketball and proving doubters wrong in the process.

What happened next was one of the crazier turnarounds for a team riding such an emotional high. Clemson returned home from Memphis at 3:15 a.m. following its win over Baylor, back on the bus at roughly 4 p.m. to head back to the airport to fly to Los Angeles for the West Regional. The trip even included a stop in Oklahoma City to refuel the plane.

The Tigers finally made it to the City of Angels. They would play in the House that Kobe [Bryant] built, with his statue and other Lakers and Kings legends outside the arena.

They would face the No. 2 seeded Arizona Wildcats who figured to have 10-15,000 fans in the arena for the game.

They averaged 87.1 points per game and had won 27 contests to that point.

“Make them guard. Do not bail them out,” Brownell told the team pregame. “Make these dudes who love playing offense, scoring 87 a game, see how they like to guard. Guys, it ain’t sexy, but this is what wins.”

The Tigers landed the first punch, jumping out to a 2916 lead, holding the Wildcats to just 16 points through the opening 14 minutes of the game. They would lead by eight at the break, 39-31.

Coach Brownell warned his team at halftime that Arizona was going to punch back.

“You’re gonna get a punch. Okay? Take it and punch back.”

That punch came early in the second half as Arizona mounted a 13-4 run to take the lead 46-45. The Tigers responded by Girard finding Jack Clark for a top of the key 3-pointer to regain the lead. Clemson sustained until Arizona tied the game again at 56, but a 9-2 run was the response from the Tigers, and they never looked back.

Following a Wildcat three to cut their deficit to 72-70, Chase Hunter and Dillon Hunter scored back-to-back buckets,

including Chase’s and-one play to seal the game and send the Tigers to the Elite Eight.

Clemson’s season eventually ended with an 89-82 loss to Alabama in the Elite Eight. The Crimson Tide made 16 3-pointers in a rematch from earlier in the season.

This team was special. Fourth-most wins in program history (24), second-most wins in consecutive seasons in program history (47), most ACC wins in consecutive seasons (25) and highest winning percentage over that span in program history (.625), five ACC road wins in 2023-24, was the most in history, 12 wins away from home, the most in one season, defeated nine NCAA Tournament teams – the most in one season in history, and won four games against Top 25 teams away from home – the most in history.

Clemson continues to raise the bar in basketball.

Hall and Hunter are ones that have helped raise that bar in basketball under Coach Brownell and it was confirmed following the Tigers’ loss in the Elite Eight. “…we had our eyes set on big goals,” said Hall. “Obviously, we’ve achieved great stuff, but we came up short on what we really wanted to do. It’ll set in whenever we get back and reflect a little bit and feel the love from the campus and community and know they had our backs through all of this.

It was an incredible ride. It was an expected ride. I’m proud of these guys.”

Hunter added, “Him [PJ] and me had a moment in the locker room. I told him we made history. We did some big things for this program. I think with him and me doing that, we’ve set this program to a new standard. We plan on keep being in games like this.”

A perfect encapsulation of Clemson’s culture was summarized by Girard following the Elite Eight loss to Alabama. He was asked what he would say to those who were considering coming to Clemson.

“Do it. I mean, this place has been unbelievable. It all goes back to the culture. That’s what was attractive to me…

Clemson is just an unbelievable place with unbelievable people. They obviously develop their players, and they win a lot of basketball games. Anyone looking forward to living in a great place, playing with great people, playing for great people, and doing great things should go to Clemson.”

Hall, Hunter and Girard leave no doubt as they review such a historic season and raise the bar for the future of Clemson Basketball.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 21

FROM THE

BROADCAST BOOTH

BY DON MUNSON

O

NE OF THE THINGS I DO WHEN GETTING READY FOR BROADCAST IS research some unknown facts about the sport I am calling for Clemson. Here are some of the things I have found out about Clemson Baseball that I would bet many of you never knew. Let’s start with the player who made it to the Major Leagues quickest. Clemson has had 69 players play Major League Baseball. The quickest to make it to the majors was pitcher Billy O’Dell. Billy was an All-American in 1954.

He went 8-3 that season with a 0.79 earned run average, striking out 111 in just 91.1 innings in 14 games (11 starts).

His final game in a Clemson uniform was on May 24, 1954, against the Hokies of Virginia Tech. On June 20, 1954, O’Dell was on the mound for the Baltimore Orioles playing in both games of a doubleheader versus the Minnesota Twins.

In game one, O’Dell pitched the final inning of a 7-1 loss allowing no hits and walking one. He then started game two by going two innings, allowing no runs, on two hits, striking out two, and walking one.

Billy O’Dell also holds the distinction of being the only Clemson player to win MVP honors in a Major League All-Star game. He was a member of the American League All-Star team of 1958, and the game was played at his home stadium in Baltimore on July 8, 1958. O’Dell would throw three perfect innings in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings for the American League and the list of hitters he retired is a who’s who of baseball. He needed just 27 pitches to sit down, in order, Milwaukee Braves shortstop Johnny Logan, San Fransico Giants center fielder Willie Mays, Chicago Cubs first/third baseman Lee Walls, St. Louis Cardinal first

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baseman Stan Musial, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Hank Aaron, Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks, Pittsburgh third baseman Frank Thomas, Pittsburgh second baseman Bill Mazeroski, and finally Milwaukee Braves catcher Del Crandall.

Mays, Aaron, Banks, Musial, and Mazeroski are all members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. MLB did not officially award an MVP award for the All-Star game until 1962 but there was an MVP trophy given by the local Baltimore newspaper.

Did you know that both John Heisman and Frank Howard served as head coaches for Clemson baseball? Heisman in his four seasons as head coach of Clemson football went 193-1. That’s an .848 winning percentage which is still the best in Clemson football history. He coached the baseball team in 1902, 1902 and 1903. His three-year baseball coaching record was 28-6-1. That’s an .814 and is the best winning percentage of any Clemson head baseball coach. Coach Howard was the head man of Tiger Football for 30 years and posted 165 wins on the gridiron. He served one season as the head man for baseball and went 12-3 in 1943, because of World War II Tiger Baseball spread their 15 games that season among five opponents Davidson, Newberry, Furman, Presbyterian, Georgia, and Georgia Tech. Eight games were played at home and Clemson went 7-1 in those games. In the seven road contests, the Tigers went 5-2. In three of the wins for Coach Howard that season, Clemson scored 20 or more runs. Only once in the 1943 football season did Howard see his football squad put 20 or more points on the board that was a 26-6 victory on the road against Davidson.

All God’s children say, “Go Tigers!”

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HEAD COACH BRAD BROWNELL TIMELINE

CLEMSON’S ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH AND THE ONLY COACH TO LEAD CLEMSON TO MULTIPLE SWEET 16 APPEARANCES.

BY BEN WINTERROWD •

APRIL 23, 2010: Head Coach Brad Brownell hired.

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NOVEMBER 12, 2010: First career win at Clemson. The Tigers defeated the Catamounts of Western Carolina 87-64 in Littlejohn Coliseum.

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JANUARY 8, 2011: First career ACC victory. The Tigers defeated the Hurricanes of Miami 79-72 in Littlejohn Coliseum.

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MARCH 11, 2011: First ACC Tournament victory. The Tigers defeated the Eagles of Boston College 70-47 in Greensboro Coliseum.

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MARCH 13, 2011: Clemson was selected to the NCAA Tournament as one of the First Four.

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MARCH 15, 2011: Clemson won its First Four game in Dayton over UAB 70-52 to advance to the first round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 22 West Virginia.

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DEC. 2, 2012: First career win against South Carolina. The Tigers defeated the Gamecocks on the road 64-55.

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MARCH 18, 23, 25, 2014: After a 20-win regular season, the Tigers qualified for the NIT and would win three games

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in Littlejohn Coliseum. (Georgia State, 78-66), (Illinois, 50-49), (Belmont, 73-68). Clemson advanced to the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden.

•

MAY 2015: Brad Brownell spearheaded a $63.5 million renovation of Littlejohn Coliseum that would take the Tigers out of Clemson for the 2015-16 season. Clemson played its season at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville.

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JAN. 10, 13, 16, 19, 2016: Clemson played four-straight ranked opponents (No. 16 Louisville, No. 9 Duke, No. 8 Miami (Fla.), No. 13 Virginia), including hosting three in Greenville. The Tigers finished 4-0 in those games and would go on to finish 10-8 in the ACC.

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NOV. 11, 2016: Clemson opens the season in a newly renovated Littlejohn Coliseum and defeats the Georgia Bulldogs 74-64.

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NOV. 10, 2017-JAN. 6, 2018: Clemson opens the season winning 14 of its first 15 games (14-1) and cracks the AP Top 25.

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MARCH 11, 2018: Clemson was selected as a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region for the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers finished the regular season with a 22-8 record and a then-program-best 11-7 record in the ACC.

•

•

•

MARCH 16, 18, 2018: Clemson won its first two games in San Diego over No. 12 New Mexico (79-68) and No. 4 Auburn (84-53) to advance to the program’s fourth Sweet 16 in history. The 31-point win over Auburn was the largest margin of victory by a lower seeded team over a higher seeded team in NCAA Tournament history.

JULY 11, 2019: Clemson, representing the United States in the World University Games, captured the Gold Medal with an emphatic 85-63 win over Ukraine. The Tigers finished the tournament 6-0, including 3-0 in pool play.

They defeated Finland, Ukraine twice, China, Germany and Israel.

JANUARY 11, 2020: Clemson, who trailed at North Carolina by a game-high 13 toward the end of the first half, fought back from a 10-point deficit with just over two minutes left in regulation. Aamir Simms drained a wing 3-pointer with three seconds left to force overtime, where the Tigers would prevail 79-76 for their first win ever in Chapel Hill.

•

JANUARY 14, 2020: The Tigers, fresh off their first win in Chapel Hill, returned home to host the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils. Clemson responded with a 79-72 win. The victory made Brad Brownell the winningest coach in Clemson history.

•

FEB. 15, FEB. 25, 2020: Clemson won two more games against ranked opponents, No. 5 Louisville and No. 6 Florida State, that resulted in court storms. Clemson defeated the Cardinals 77-62, but it was a last-second layup by Al-Amir Dawes that sealed a 70-69 win over the Seminoles.

•

•

NOV. 25-26, 2020: Clemson won the Space Coast Challenge to begin a COVID-shortened campaign. The Tigers defeated Mississippi State and Purdue to get off to a hot start in what would become an NCAA Tournament season for Clemson.

DEC. 9, 12, 2020: The Tigers walloped Maryland in the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge, 67-51, and turned around to beat Alabama on a neutral court in Atlanta, 64-56.

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2020-21 SEASON: Clemson finished 16-8 overall and 10-6 in the ACC en route to its second NCAA Tournament since 2018.

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2022-23 SEASON: Clemson started league play 7-0 – its best start in the ACC in program history. The Tigers finished 14-6 in the ACC, a new program record for victories in the conference. Clemson added a couple last-second finishes against Virginia Tech and Florida State, including a program-record 40-point beatdown of the Seminoles at home.

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NOV. 10, 12, 2023: Clemson came from behind to win two games against UAB and Davidson to claim the Asheville Championship title. It’s second regular season tournament championship in the last four seasons.

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NOV. 28, DEC. 3, 6, 9, 2023: Clemson started the season 9-0, tying a program record, which included wins during a gauntlet stretch of games at No. 23 Alabama, at Pittsburgh, vs. South Carolina and vs. TCU in Canada.

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FEB. 6, 2024: Clemson controlled an entire game at No. 3 North Carolina and earned its second win in three tries in Chapel Hill with an 80-76 win over the Tar Heels.

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MARCH 17, 2024: Clemson was selected for its 14th NCAA Tournament and was picked as a No. 6 seed in the West Region.

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MARCH 22, 2024: Clemson rolled past New Mexico in the first round 77-56 to advance to the second round against No. Baylor.

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MARCH 24, 2024: The Tigers controlled much of the game and advanced to their second Sweet 16 since 2018 with a 72-64 win over the third-seeded Bears.

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MARCH 28, 2024: The only time Clemson has advanced to the Elite Eight was in 1980 when they were a No. 6 seed in the West Region. Fate would be on the Tigers’ side as Clemson would hold off a powerful Arizona squad 77-72.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 25

SPIRIT SQUADS

AT NATIONALS

CLEMSON'S SPIRIT PROGRAMS COMPETED AT THE 2024 NCA/NDA COLLEGIATE CHEER & DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

C

LEMSON’S SPIRIT PROGRAM, CONSISTING OF THE ALL-GIRL CHEER team, the Coed Cheer squad and the Rally Cat dance team finished competition at the NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championship in Daytona, Fla. which ran from Thursday, April 11 until Saturday, April 13.

The All-Girl squad led the way for the Tigers with a 3rd place finish in the final after having the best prelim score of all competitors in the IA Advanced. The Rally Cats picked up a 7th place finish in the Pom division and the Coed cheer squad were 7th in their division as well.

Follow @ClemsonCheer and @ClemsonRallyCats on Instagram for the latest!

26 | ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | ISSUE 6 | 2023-24

DANCE RESULTS • Spirit Rally · Prelims – 7th of 9 (21.8) · Finals- 5th of 9 (90.8750) • Jazz Division IA · Prelims – 9th of 25 (90.9714) – 15 Advance to Finals · Finals – 12th of 25 (91.5714) • Pom Division IA · Prelims – 6th of 11 (92.9714) – 7 Advance to Finals · Finals – 7th of 11 – (93.0286) CHEER RESULTS • Advanced Large Coed Division IA · Prelims – 7th of 7 · Finals – 7th of 7 (86.0958) • Advanced All-Girl Division IA · Prelims – 1st place of 10 · Finals – 3rd place of 10 (93.1834)

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THE EXPERIENCE | 27

JERVEY GYM UPGRADES & ACES CLUB MEMBERSHIP VOLLEYBALL CONTINUES TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE WITH UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS ON AND OFF THE COURT.

BY VALERIE JOHNSON

T

HE CLEMSON VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM HAS BEEN MAKING EXTENSIVE strides both on and off the court this offseason. Following Head Coach Jackie Simpson Kirr signing an extension through the 2027 season and inking seven newcomers to the 2024 fall roster, there seems to be a continuous positive buzz in Clemson around the volleyball program. Helping to spur the chatter around the program has been the expected upgrades to Jervey Gym. “As we embark on this transformative journey,” said Simpson Kirr, “We’re not just renovating a gym; we’re shaping the future of Clemson Volleyball. It’s about building a space where our team can thrive and excel, setting the stage for success on and off the court.”

The Clemson University Board of Trustees gave Phase II approval last year that allowed construction to commence at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season. Demolition inside the gym happened quickly with the gym floor and bleachers being removed while the team hit the road for its secondconsecutive NIVC postseason appearance. This allowed the roof to be raised 12 feet immediately, surpassing the NCAA minimum height standards and thereby enhancing the space’s functionality and modernity. As the ‘old’ transitioned out, the Clemson Volleyball staff has been integral in working through the upgrades to the spaces for the volleyball program. Not only will the team experience new everyday amenities in the volleyball suite, the gameday experience for fans will take on an upgraded look.

When the project, that includes both Jervey Gym and the Watt Family Athletic Performance and Wellness Center, is completed, fans can expect to redefine a gameday environment. This encompasses the replacement of the gym’s flooring, bleacher seating, audio systems, lighting fixtures, scoreboard, and videoboard, ensuring that both athletes and spectators experience top-tier comfort and technological advancements. The addition of the Premium ACEs Club

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lounge overlooking the gym exemplifies the university’s commitment to creating a premier environment for fans, allowing them to enjoy the games from a vantage point of luxury and excitement. Moreover, the dedicated lobby and improved fan amenities, such as concessions and restrooms, will enhance the overall game-day experience.

The gym is slated to be completed in time to welcome back Clemson Volleyball fans for the 2024 fall season. The full schedule has not been announced yet, but fans are encouraged to follow ClemsonVolleyball on social media and on ClemsonTigers.com/sports/volleyball for the 2024 schedule announcement.

In the meantime, fans can check out volleyball’s ACEs Club, a new tiered giving program for the team behind the team. Committed to elevating Clemson Volleyball, the ACEs Club’s mission is to set the volleyball team up for success.

An ACEs Club membership reflects dedication to Advancing Clemson Excellence and plays a vital role in empowering our student-athletes to Own Today.

“Joining the ACEs Club allows fans to be members of the team behind our team as we climb to new heights,” said Simpson Kirr. “Your support is instrumental in our journey, ensuring sustainable success to Advance Clemson Excellence.”

The ACEs Club is the team behind the team that joins on the journey to greatness by rallying behind Clemson Volleyball in their relentless pursuit of excellence. Whether you contribute as an ACEs Ambassador or through other levels (check out the full tiered system on the next page), your ACEs Club commitment ensures that every serve, every match and every triumph mirrors the spirit of the Clemson Tigers. Together, let’s make an impact that resonates both on and off the court, fueling the success of Clemson Volleyball.

Fans can visit IPTAYCUAD.com/Clemson-VB-ACEs or email IPTAY@ Clemson.edu for more information on how they can join one of the six different levels of the ACEs Club.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 29

MORE THAN A MILESTONE 50 YEARS OF VARSITY WOMEN’S ATHLETICS AT CLEMSON.

BY CAROLINE WARNER

T

HE 2024-25 ATHLETIC YEAR MARKS THE 50TH COMPETITIVE SEASON of varsity women’s athletics at Clemson, dating to the introduction of basketball, tennis, swimming and fencing in 1975 by then-Athletic Director Bill McLellan. The growth and success of Clemson University's women's athletics are symbolized by the fiftieth-anniversary crest. Several symbols have been embedded to highlight and celebrate the university's athletic achievements in women's sports.

Ten Olympic medalists, sixteen varsity sports, and eighteen NCAA championships are just a few of the accomplishments, not to mention countless athletes who have gone on to incredible careers inside and outside of athletics, and the many support staff and coaches who made this possible. With the recent additions of women's gymnastics and lacrosse, the program has proven women's athletics continues to build momentum. Women's sports have significantly contributed to Clemson's growing nationwide popularity and school spirit.

The crest includes six key symbols: Four Stars: The four stars on the crest represent each of the original Clemson women's varsity sports teams. In the 197576 seasons, Clemson University first embarked on women's sports by adding women's tennis, basketball, fencing, and swimming to the school. The 2024-2025 season will be Clemson's 50th season in women's tennis and basketball.

These four sports led the way for female athletes at Clemson University, laying the groundwork for what Clemson Women's Athletics has become. As of 2024, Clemson Athletics presently fully funds 12 women’s varsity sports.

The Shape: The shape and design of the anniversary crest are derived from one of Clemson University's most loved traditions: Clemson class rings. The shape represents the bond female athletes formed throughout their years at Clemson University together. The inspiration taken from the class ring also symbolizes Clemson's women's athletic commitment to academic success. At Clemson University, the athletic department supports young women making strides on the field and in the classroom. In women's sports at Clemson University, athletes are supported in their academic ambitions; female athletes at Clemson win in their sport and their educational lives.

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Ten Olympic Medals: Clemson's women's sports are not just successful at a collegiate level; Clemson's female athletes have made strides on the world stage, with ten of the university's female athletes winning Olympic Medals. The first Olympic win for women's athletics was in 1984 when Michelle Richardson placed silver in swimming. Clemson University has had four female athletes win Olympic gold medals in their respective sports.

Five Stripes: The five stripes circling the center "50" on the anniversary crest are a tribute to Clemson's Women's Basketball team's original jersey design, worn in the 197576 season. The five stripes also represent another aspect of Clemson's Women's Athletics: a stripe for each decade of women's sports at Clemson University.

50 Gems: Each season, each year, each women's player roster has contributed to the program's success. Each team of women lays a foundation for the next. The fifty gems symbolize all the years of work, growth, and success Clemson women's athletics has shown. Each year of women's sports has contributed to the university's success, and the program will continue to grow and achieve.

18 NCAA Championships: In the past fifty years, women's athletics at Clemson has proven its excellence in eighteen NCAA championship wins. Clemson University's first women's NCAA championship title was won by Tina Krebs in 1983 in the Track and Field 1,000-meter race. Women's sports at Clemson are still in search of team national championship, but with recent runs to the College Cup, NCAA Super Regionals, and NCAA Tournaments, it’s only a matter of time.

An aspect that cannot be counted, a priceless achievement of Clemson's women's athletics, is the plethora of young girls inspired in the fifty years of Clemson Athletics. Aspiring female collegiate athletes will continue to be inspired by Clemson female athletes' grit, strides, and commitment to their teammates and university. Clemson's women's athletics has been an example of how much women can achieve, create, and strive in athletic environments. Clemson's women's sports will continue to uphold and grow the strength, commitment, and community that belongs to the university.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 31

CLEMSON WINS FIRST BASEBALL REGIONAL SINCE 2010!

34,344 fans were in attendance at Doug Kingsmore Stadium to set a Clemson Regional record over six games. The Tigers defeated High Point and Coastal Carolina to advance to the NCAA Super Regional round.

PHOTO BY DAWSON POWERS & PETER McLEAN ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 33

PROGRESSION TO CLEMSON NATALIE HONNEN’S PROGRESSIVE JOURNEY LANDED HER IN CLEMSON ATHLETICS 10 YEARS AGO WHERE SHE HAS WORKED HER WAY TO A PROMINENT ROLE.

BY JONATHAN FRANCHI

O

BTAINING A PROMINENT ROLE IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY IS SOMETHING that many people want, but few are ever able to make it.

It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and persistence to ultimately get in that position. After having stints in the University of Florida and Yale University Athletic Departments, Natalie Honnen is now in her tenth year at Clemson. She has held multiple positions at Clemson and is now an Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director of Student Services and Performance. For Honnen, her progressive journey was no different. Having grown up under Cuban-American immigrant parents, Honnen credits her parents for instilling these values in her life and helping her get to where she is today.

“Being a child of immigrants that basically came over to this country with very limited resources, and being able to watch how they worked to provide me the best life possible, set me up for success. For me, I was able to see that nothing's guaranteed, nothing's given, and you have to work for whatever you get. There should be no expectations of what the world provides you, but rather, what do you want your life to be?”

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Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Natalie Honnen always had an interest in sports, following in the footsteps of her older brother. She recalls playing a lot of football in the backyard and keeping up with college and professional sports. Honnen grew up playing softball until she was 12 years old and was on the diving and water polo teams in high school, having quite a successful career. She finished fifth in the state diving tournament her senior year and was selected to the All-District team for water polo.

Honnen decided to stay in state and attend the University of Florida, majoring in public relations. It was not until her junior year that she really believed she could pursue a career in athletics. The Florida native started to volunteer for opportunities within the university to gain as much experience as possible. She gained a full-time position in their athletic department at age 21 while pursuing her master’s degree in sport management. She worked closely with the football team, handling event game day scheduling and traveling, and she also assisted with the tennis program.

After five and a half years in Florida, Honnen made the switch to Yale University, a much different dynamic

compared to a traditional powerhouse SEC program. At Yale, Honnen progressed into more of an administrative role where she worked with more athletic programs and was eventually promoted to an Associate Athletic Director role.

After six years at Yale, Honnen made the move over to Clemson where she said it was the right move for her career at the time and the right environment for starting a family. After a few different roles, she now oversees the volleyball, softball, and men’s and women’s golf programs. She also is in charge of sports medicine, nutrition, sports science, strength and conditioning, and mental health and performance programs along with helping with conduct and behavior. Through her position, she is able to make a positive impact on all 21 athletic programs in various ways.

Honnen has also been instrumental in improving the Mental Health and Performance program at Clemson. She takes pride in meeting with student-athletes and coaches individually to make sure the student-athletes are having the best possible experience and to help set them up for success in their life after college.

“Since my arrival, we have built out a mental performance and health team that not only provides one-on-one support for mental health and performance, helping coaches build high-performance models, but also creating physical space for student-athletes to take control of their overall wellness and recovery (Athlete Recovery Center). We have invested in technology to better support our performance coaches to influence their approach to programming strength, conditioning, and monitoring each individual’s workload to minimize injuries. We have increased our staffing and

resources within sports medicine and added a physical therapy unit to better support our athletic trainers and to manage long-term injury rehabilitation. Lastly, we have grown our nutrition staff to be able to provide performance nutrition to our student-athletes to fuel their bodies best for performance.”

Another area where Honnen has played an instrumental role is in the creation and development of the Clemson Softball program. She assisted in hiring the coach, building the facility, and overseeing game operations. It has meant a lot to Honnen to see the softball program have so much early success on the field and in the hearts of the fans.

“It has been one of my greatest accomplishments in my career not only because of the success, but the opportunities provided to our female student-athletes and the joy it has brought to our community.”

Natalie Honnen’s impressive progression from Florida and Yale landed her in Tiger Town about ten years ago. She has been able to make a big difference on Clemson Athletics in many ways, on and off the field. In Clemson’s welcoming and family-oriented atmosphere, Honnen has not only found a home in the athletic department but with starting her family as well.

“Clemson provided the perfect place to start a family and to balance motherhood and a career. I also saw the potential.

Clemson is a special place, and as soon as I was on campus, it felt right. It felt like it was a place where I could make an impact and truly feel it has been that. The people are special and passionate, so it makes it easy to come to work every day.”

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THE ARC

THE CLEMSON ATHLETIC RECOVERY CENTER IS A WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCE FACILITY.

BY JEFF KALLIN

C

LEMSON’S COMMITMENT TO CUTTING-EDGE AND WORLD-CLASS performance facilities is no secret.

Long known for being one of the leaders in human performance and wellness, the newly opened lakefront Athlete Recovery Center, or ARC for short, is already making waves nationally for its innovation, technology, services, and - oh yeah - the breathtaking view.

But this facility is more than just its stunning location - it’s the only of its kind in the nation.

Clemson Athletics initially announced the project as part of its expansion project, which included a new home for lacrosse, which played its first season in its new Complex, and gymnastics, which just finished an incredibly successful inaugural campaign. Each of those programs, as well as the adjacent Rowing facility, are state-of-the-art and have earned national recognition for being world-class facilities.

But at the time, one of the lesser-known parts of the project was the ARC. That changed in January as the formal ribbon cutting for the entire expansion project was held inside the ARC, drawing hundreds up to the 10,000-square-foot facility before breaking off into tours of Gymnastics and Lacrosse.

“Simply put, the Athlete Recovery Center is a designated space for student-athletes to find mental and physical restoration, to simply slow down, and to provide the opportunity for finding a deeper sense of community and connection during their time here at Clemson,” said Megan Cato, the ARC’s Wellness Coordinator.

Cato, a two-time Clemson graduate, has worked at Clemson since 2013 as a Lecturer and Recreation Operations Manager

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at the Underground Recreation Center. During that time, she has also served as a yoga instructor for the past five years, and was tabbed to lead the facility because of her background in wellness and event management.

In conjunction with Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services and Performance Natalie Honnen and Director of Student-Athlete Wellness Logan Hartnell, Cato set up a detailed plan of the services and systems required to provide world-class care and organization, while also educating student-athletes on the science behind the efforts.

Honnen’s role is almost exclusively focused on creating a holistic student-athlete experience and making sure students are cared for physically and mentally, with the goal of creating a safe environment to improve performance. Honnen also oversees mental health and performance, sport performance, sports medicine and nutrition areas.

The ARC is meant to tie many of the elements of wellness together to create a cohesive, comfortable space for athletes to recover. And, uniquely, is centrally housed without sportspecific personnel.

Hartnell’s background as a Doctor of Psychology and Licensed Clinical and Sport Psychologist gives Clemson a major edge in this area, as the collective team can work together to meet the demands of the modern student-athletes.

“Usage at the ARC is strictly voluntary, which creates a unique environment that allows athletes the autonomy of building healthy and holistic routines,” explains Cato. “The facility is managed under PAWS (Performance and Wellness

Services), which gives the facility an additional layer privacy to better serve the overall wellbeing of all athletes.”

The results have been staggering. In the first two months since opening its doors to all student-athletes on March 1, 2024, the ARC has seen more than 2,100 check-ins and nearly 3,000 unique recovery activities logged.

And the people are just the beginning.

“We offer a variety of recovery modalities and programming to aid in recovery,” said Cato. “Infrared light, cold exposure, and sensory deprivation modalities to enhance not only the athlete’s physical restoration but also the opportunity to reset mentally.”

Infrared light enhances human performance by penetrating deep into tissues, stimulating cellular activity, promoting healing, and reducing inflammation, which can aid in quicker recovery and improved muscle function. It also boosts circulation and energy production within cells, contributing to overall vitality and endurance.

Cold exposure improves performance by triggering physiological responses that reduce inflammation, enhance recovery, and increase resilience to stress. It can also boost metabolism and energy expenditure, leading to better overall physical conditioning and endurance.

Sensory deprivation enhances human performance by providing a state of relaxation and mental clarity, reducing stress and anxiety, and allowing for enhanced focus and creativity. It also promotes neuroplasticity, facilitating improved learning and cognitive function through the brain's adaptation to the unique environment.

Additionally, students can find comfortable seating to complete work, a fueling station in coordination with the nutrition department, massage therapy, nap pods, mindful movement sessions, and outdoor spaces.

“It provides the chance to shift the main focus from performance to creating a comfortable space that allows our athletes to step into the feeling of their body, giving them the chance to fully relax.”

And while the ARC embodies Clemson’s commitment, it is one of several spaces, including the 100 Yards of Wellness, the Brook T. Smith Clemson Applied Science Lab and the forthcoming Watt Family Performance and Wellness Center, dedicated to helping Clemson student-athletes find a competitive advantage.

The 55,000-square-foot Watt Family Performance and Wellness Center is set to further enhance the training and wellness experience for student-athletes, which will also include new hydrotherapy and recovery equipment. Clemson is committed to providing the best resources and environment for its athletes and is poised to set a new standard in collegiate sports facilities. This will be the new home of Clemson’s Sports Performance area, Sports Science, Sports Medicine, and a new student-athlete dining area.

As college athletics evolves and services continue to grow, the incredible generosity and commitment of IPTAY members help make facilities and services like these possible. And with that commitment, Clemson has firmly established itself as the leader in student-athlete experience and well-being.

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LUCAS GLOVER

CLEMSON'S LUCAS GLOVER REACHES A MILESTONE MOMENT AS HE WAS PRESENTED WITH THE ORDER OF THE PALMETTO. BY BEN WINTERROWD 38 | ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | ISSUE 6 | 2023-24

S

OUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR HENRY McMASTER PRESENTED THE Order of the Palmetto to South Carolina native and PGA TOUR golfer Lucas Glover on Friday evening following his second round of play at the RBC Heritage, held annually at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C. Heritage Classic Foundation Chairman Simon Fraser also joined the presentation.

Established by Governor John C. West in 1971, the Order of the Palmetto is the State of South Carolina's highest civilian honor.

Per governor.sc.gov: "It is presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service, and contributions on a national or statewide scale. The Order of the Palmetto recognizes individuals who have selflessly given of their time, resources and goodwill through a variety of different causes and pursuits to the benefit of their neighbors, fellow citizens and the fabric and prosperity of South Carolina. Business, political or personal accomplishment may be important factors, but noble works for others mark the true purpose."

Glover was a three-time All-American at Clemson between 1998-2001, including a first-team selection as a junior

and senior. He helped the Clemson program to four top-10 national finishes, including a second-place finish in 1998 and a third-place finish in 2001. Glover is a member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the State of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in May. Glover is the grandson of Dick Hendley, Clemson Hall of Fame inductee in 1984. Hendley played football and baseball at Clemson between 1946-51, the first grandfather and grandson hall of fame combination in Clemson Athletic history.

He was a three-time All-American at Wade Hampton High and earned two state championships. He was a successful amateur, winning the South Carolina Amateur in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and was a part of the prestigious 2001 Walker Cup team.

He has earned six wins on the PGA TOUR since turning pro in 2001, including the 2009 U.S. Open and last season’s FedEx St. Jude Championship and Wyndham Championship.

He has competed in every RBC Heritage since 2004.

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A LANDMARK MONTH

MAY 2024 WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE MONTH BOTH CLEMSON MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GOLF PROGRAMS MADE HISTORY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS.

BY TIM BOURRET

M

AY 2024 WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AS A LANDMARK MONTH IN Clemson Golf history. Both the Clemson men and women advanced to their respective National Championships.

Both programs finished in the top 25 of their respective national tournaments for the first time in Clemson history.

Clemson was one of 15 programs from around the nation to qualify for both NCAA National Tournaments and one of just 11 to finish in the top 25 of both events. This was the first time both programs finished in the top 25 nationally in the same year.

A noteworthy moment was the journey for both programs, as they achieved jaw-dropping accomplishments.

First, the Clemson Men’s Golf team won the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional on May 15 to qualify for the national tournament. It was the program’s first regional championship since 2004.

Then the women finished fifth after 72 holes of the stroke play competition at the national tournament to qualify for the match play competition that crowns the overall champion.

This achievement was the first time either Clemson program qualified for match play at the national event.

Let’s first go in-depth on the Clemson men and their regional victory.

The Clemson Men’s Golf team had a strong overall season.

Jordan Byrd’s team played a difficult schedule in the fall and 40 | ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | ISSUE 6 | 2023-24

had just a 16-57 record against the field in four tournaments.

That led to a No. 103 national ranking by Spikemark, the ranking system used by the NCAA for the first time for men and women.

Clemson won its first spring tournament at the Battle of Briar’s Creek in John’s Island, S.C. to begin their comeback.

They fought all spring to get back to the .500 record necessary to be considered for the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers finished 10th of 12 teams at the ACC Tournament. The ACC was the best conference in college golf this year by many measures, as seven teams reached the NCAA national tournament and four reached the eight-team match play, more than any conference.

After the 10th-place finish at the conference tournament, the Tigers had a 76-76-1 record to qualify as the 10th-seeded team out of 13 teams at the Chapel Hill Regional. Clemson was the No. 59 ranked team in the nation, but they were in.

Clemson had some good intangibles going for them at the regional. Head Basketball Coach Brad Brownell, who led the Tigers to a victory on the hardcourt over third-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill this past season, spoke to the golf team before they left for the regional.

“I talked to Coach Brownell at a Coaches Council meeting about how his team had fought back from a disappointing

performance in the ACC Tournament,” said Byrd. “He offered to talk to our team before we left for the regional and he was great. He spoke to our squad for over 40 minutes about turning the page after the ACC Tournament.”

“Coach Brownell knows golf and he related to our team. He talked about having confidence and having a belief that you can succeed. I believe he had a positive impact on what we did the following week.”

Clemson then won the Chapel Hill Regional as the No. 10 seed, the first double-digit seed to win a regional since the format began in 2009. West Virginia duplicated the feat later in the day.

Among the teams Clemson beat was a fourth-ranked North Carolina team on the Tar Heels’ home course (Finley Golf Club). It was a remarkable achievement because you can make the case that the “home field advantage” is greater in golf than in any other sport. North Carolina had beaten Clemson by 26 shots in the ACC Tournament three weeks earlier.

North Carolina finished third, five shots behind the Tigers, who won the event by one shot over East Tennessee State.

Senior Calahan Keever sank an 18-foot birdie putt and East Tennessee State’s Mats Ege, one of three finalists for the Fred Haskins Award this year (National Player of the Year) missed a 14-foot par putt on the final hole to give Clemson a onestroke victory.

Clemson finished the tournament with a score of 25-underpar 815, the lowest 54-hole NCAA Tournament score in school history and the fourth lowest for any tournament.

“It is amazing how quickly things can change in this game,” said Byrd. “When you see a few putts go in, it can give a team momentum.”

“I felt all year we were better than our ranking and we played to our potential at the regional.”

Keever finished fifth and Jonathan Nielsen finished seventh to lead the Tigers. Thomas Higgins finished 14th, including a second-round 63, the lowest round in Clemson history in an NCAA Tournament.

“I am so proud of this team because we were not ranked in the top 100 at the end of the fall, and just fought all spring to make the regional, then finished 22nd at the national tournament. That was a resilient team.”

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The fifth-place finish by the Clemson women at the NCAA National Tournament played at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. was noteworthy and historic.

Kelley Hester’s team had been ranked in the top 20 of the Spikemark rankings all year. Her club had gotten off to a great start in the fall, finishing that first half of the schedule with a victory at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. Hester’s team had a 44-9-1 record against the field in the fall.

There was some trepidation about continuing the excellent play in the spring because Savannah Grewal, the team’s best player with a 70.00 stroke average, successfully passed through LPGA Tour qualifying and turned professional in December. Grewal took just two tour events to record a topfour finish.

Despite Grewal graduating to the pro rankings, Clemson continued to play well, recording a second-place finish at the Gator Invitational and a fourth-place finish at the Clemson Invitational.

At the ACC Tournament, Clemson reached the finals of match play after defeating Virginia, giving Clemson a 3-0 record in match play over the last two years. However, the ACC Tournament format called for the semifinals and finals to be played on the same day.

The schedule ran long, and the Clemson vs. Wake Forest championship match was called due to darkness. Wake Forest was declared champion by its No. 1 ranking after the 54 holes of stroke play.

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Clemson then finished tied for second out of 12 teams at the NCAA Bryan (Texas) Regional, the second straight year the Tigers finished second at the regional, tied for the highest first at that tournament in Clemson history.

That finish sent Clemson to the National Championship tournament against 29 other schools. Clemson had never finished better than 20th at the national event, but this year was different. Senior Annabelle Pancake finished second at the regional with a nine-under-par 207 score, the native of Indiana finished seventh at the national event, the highest finish ever by a Clemson Women’s Golfer.

Isabella Rawl, who had finished second at the ACC Tournament, fired a 66 in the opening round of the National Tournament to take Clemson to the team lead after 18 holes, another first in Clemson Women’s Golf history. This lead gave the Tigers great confidence for the remainder of the tournament. Rawl finished 24th overall, second on the Tigers to Pancake’s seventh place.

Pancake had a top-10 finish in all three postseason events, a first in Clemson history.

The Tigers were fifth after the 72 holes of stroke play, moving them into the match play championship where they met one of the longtime powers of NCAA women’s golf, No. 4 seeded Southern California. The Trojans defeated the Tigers, 3-1-1 to end Clemson’s historic and rewarding season.

Hester’s team returns four of five starters to the lineup next year.

As Dabo Swinney often says, “The best is yet to come,” for this program just in its 11th year.

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KNAAKING

DOWN THE DOOR FRESHMAN RIGHTHANDER AIDAN KNAAK MADE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN HIS FIRST SEASON AT CLEMSON. BY CHRIS PERRY 44 | ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | ISSUE 6 | 2023-24

F

ROM A YOUNG AGE, AIDAN KNAAK HAS ALWAYS HAD A DESIRE TO PLAY at baseball’s highest level. He credited a lot of his current success to the competitive environment in Florida.

The freshman righthander grew up in Fort Myers, Fla. He attended Bishop Verot Catholic High School, where he played baseball for four years. Knaak thanked his father, Rob, for not only getting him into the sport of baseball, but also into pitching at a young age.

“My dad got me into baseball and was the one who was coaching me throughout Little League. He played college baseball as well. I've pitched my whole life.

“In Little League, you would play all the different positions, but I've always loved pitching. My dad was a pitcher, so he got me into it.”

Both of Knaak’s parents are from California. His father attended and played Division I baseball at Cal Poly. He also has a sister, Madeline, who plays volleyball at Bishop Verot Catholic High School. He firmly believes the athletic and competitive nature of his family complements the sporting environment in Florida well, providing him with a solid foundation to find success.

“Growing up, in high school and in Florida, it’s very competitive baseball. You have the hot weather all yearround, and you were always playing against good competition.

“As far as summer ball, it's the same thing. You’ve known how to play with these guys since eighth grade, ninth grade, freshman year. I even had the same coach throughout my high school years and travel ball, and he was pretty good.”

It is safe to say that growing up in this Florida environment makes it challenging to get recruited to top programs. The righthander saw the most improvement in his velocity during his sophomore and junior years, helping him get recruited to many top programs and initially committing to Clemson under Head Coach Monte Lee and Recruiting Coordinator Bradley LeCroy.

“The recruiting process was a little stressful. Everyone's out there trying to get committed. It was a very long process.

It's a lot of traveling. But it was good because I would be with my dad and spend quality time with him on those long road trips.”

During Knaak’s senior season, he slowly crept onto the scene as a potential MLB draft pick. His fastball had reached up to 96 mph and he registered a sub 1.80 ERA. These accolades earned him a spot at the MLB Draft Combine, an exclusive event for high school athletes selected by a committee of scouting executives. Even with this national success, upon visiting Clemson and meeting with new Clemson Head Coach

Erik Bakich, Knaak knew that Tigertown was the right place for him to continue his career.

“I originally fell in love with Clemson because I knew it was a great baseball program. And when I came to the campus, it just fit with everything I had in mind. I really liked the campus a lot…we have the lake right here. Once I met Coach Bakich, that pretty much sealed the deal. He's such a great coach with what he does and with the players. He treats this whole program like a family. I really liked that a lot.”

Knaak brings an elusive pitching arsenal to the table. He features a fastball that sits in the mid 90s, a 12-6 curveball that sits around 80 mph and a changeup that many consider to be his best pitch in the upper 70 mph range. He credited a lot of his pitching success to his long-time pitching coach, Hank Woodman.

“Trying to learn new pitches is really fun. Also, trying out new grips is interesting. I had a pitching coach when I was younger, Hank Woodman. I still talk to him to this day. He was the man who helped me learn all the pitches I throw today.”

Knaak has continued his success under Pitching Coach Jimmy Belanger in 2024. During his young Clemson career, Knaak has been decorated with many honors, rare-air for a first-year freshman. One of many honors this season was that Knaak became the first Tiger freshman pitcher at to recieve First-Team All-ACC honors. This honor has not been revieved by any Tiger freshman since Ryan Mottl was selected in 1997.

Knaak believes a positive and competitive mindset plays an important role in finding success in any level of pitching.

“I always treat every game like it's my last, going out there and competing at the highest level. In high school and travel ball, we faced a lot of these guys that I'm seeing nowadays.

It's a bit of adjustment with the bigger stage and bigger crowd, and a lot better players at this level. The margins are smaller. You just need to be more refined when it comes to pitching.”

As far as plans after Clemson, Knaak has his sights firmly set on playing baseball. With his parents hailing from California, Knaak grew up a Dodgers fan, making him fancy a career there in the near-future.

“Since I was a little kid, I always had that dream of playing in the MLB. Growing up watching the Dodgers, it would be cool playing for them. I also still have some family out there.

Overall, I've always wanted to become a big leaguer. It is still one of my goals.”

While Knaak’s career at Clemson is young, there is no doubt that he will rely on his Sunshine State roots and competitive mindset to help him find success at this level and beyond.

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EMPOWERING TIGERS INSIDE CLEMSON'S NIL PROGRAM.

BY BRIDGET PERINE

O

VERVIEW In the rapidly evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, Clemson has emerged as a trailblazer, not just in competition but also in embracing the transformative power of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes. With Reign, our multifaceted NIL resource program, Clemson is redefining the relationship between athletes, academics, and entrepreneurship– empowering Tigers to thrive both on and off the surface of play.

INTRODUCTION TO NIL Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights have ushered in a new era of collegiate sports, granting athletes the ability to monetize their personal brand through endorsements, sponsorships, and other commercial ventures.

NIL can take many forms – it could be payment for appearances at events, social media campaigns, appearing in a commercial, owning a business, or even signing autographs.

As universities navigate this territory, we will continue to assist in maximizing the potential of NIL for Clemson studentathletes.

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THE CLEMSON ADVANTAGE Education Central to Clemson's NIL philosophy is the belief that education should remain the top priority. Through Reign’s comprehensive educational initiatives and resources, including financial literacy sessions and branding workshops, student-athletes are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about their NIL ventures while keeping the main thing, the main thing.

Additionally, starting in the Fall 2023 semester, the Erwin Center for Brand Communications partnered with Clemson Athletics to offer a class focusing on the NIL landscape.

The class is collaboratively taught, with athletic department experts teaming with Katie Hildebrand, a leading brand marketing and communication expert from the Erwin Center.

In addition to expert NIL guest lecturers, the class focuses on the ins and outs of NIL while also providing students with the necessary content branding creation and management skills to be successful NIL scholars and practitioners.

Clemson has also made a concerted effort to engage in dozens of speaking events and presentations to help better inform the community on what NIL is and is not.

EMPOWERMENT 110 Society: To support Clemson student-athletes with opportunities to market and leverage their NIL, 110 Society was founded in November 2023 as a one-stop shop for all things Clemson NIL, officially endorsed and supported

by Clemson Athletics and IPTAY. 110 Society creates opportunities for fans, donors and businesses to participate in and benefit from NIL deals with student-athletes. Visit 110Society.com for more details.

Teamworks Influencer (The Clemson Exchange): Clemson partnered with Teamworks Influencer (formerly INFLCR) in 2022 to develop the Clemson Exchange, a student-athlete NIL registry that has been custom-designed for businesses, donors, and alumni who wish to connect directly with student-athletes. Registered users can search, filter and initiate conversations with student-athletes to explore NIL deals, ranging from appearances to social media posts.

Businesses are at the forefront and can easily partner with student-athletes to further their promotional goals. Fans and businesses can partner with Clemson student-athletes directly at ClemsonTigers.com/Exchange.

CAB Reeves & CAB Nieri: Clemson was the first school to develop content creation spaces designed for student-athletes to capitalize on their NIL with the opening of the Clemson Athletic Branding Institute (CAB) and has since opened an additional content creation space in the Nieri Family StudentAthlete Enrichment Center. The 2,700-square-foot facility

mirrors the amenities of the initial CAB, including photo and video studios, podcast rooms, and meeting and office space.

The new location is within the Nieri Family Student-Athlete Enrichment Center, making these amenities easily accessible to Clemson student-athletes. Clemson remains committed to providing excellence in branding, marketing, sponsorship, content creation and more for its students.

OFFICIALLY LICENSED NIL MERCHANDISE The Fanatics NIL Store: Clemson and Fanatics have partnered to create the first-ever student-athlete merch store housed on Fanatics. Fans can instantly see licensed apparel affiliated with their favorite student-athletes.

Campus Ink’s Clemson NIL Store: Campus Ink has obtained a license to produce official Clemson NIL merchandise.

Clemson student-athletes are able to opt in to the opportunity and have “locker rooms” featuring merchandise with their name, image, and likeness. Shop the collection at nil.store/ pages/clemson.

Athlete’s Thread: Joining the Clemson NIL merchandising ranks is Athlete’s Thread, an apparel company partnering with Clemson student-athletes to bring NIL merchandise to market.

ADVOCACY Above all, Clemson is dedicated to advocating for studentathletes to take control of their futures and realize their full potential in every avenue, including NIL. Whether it's ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 47

through endorsement deals, social media partnerships, or entrepreneurial ventures, Tigers are encouraged to explore diverse opportunities that align with their passions and goals. By nurturing a culture of innovation, creativity, and collaboration, Clemson is shaping the next generation of leaders, both on and off the surface of play.

IMPROVISE, ADAPT, OVERCOME As college sports continue to evolve, Reign stands as a model of excellence and innovation. By prioritizing education, fostering strategic partnerships, and empowering studentathletes to seize their opportunities, Clemson continues to redefine the athlete experience, but also adapt to the changes at the state, conference, NCAA, and federal levels – shaping

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the future of collegiate athletics. As our Tigers continue to excel in their respective fields, both as athletes and entrepreneurs, Clemson's legacy of excellence will endure for generations to come.

WHAT’S NEXT? With recent changes to both NCAA and legislative policies, Clemson is committed to updating and communicating key changes in the landscape, as well as developing strategies that help the Tigers remain competitive. NIL is about more than just money – it’s about creating opportunities for young men and women to learn. Above all, we aspire to do things with integrity.

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2024 ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME CLASS CLEMSON ATHLETICS, BLOCK C CLUB ANNOUNCE 2024 ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CLASS.

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HE CLEMSON UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME, WHICH HONORS former student-athletes, coaches and individuals associated with the department for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the Clemson University Athletic Department.

Clemson Athletics and IPTAY’s Block C Club announced nine members to be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The class is comprised of: Tajh Boyd (Football), Louise Greenwood (Basketball), Michael Johnson (Baseball), Jessica Leidecker (Rowing), Mark Lisi (Men’s Soccer), Julie Rodriguez (Volleyball), Victor Smalls (Track

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& Field), Sammy Watkins (Football), and Stephanie Weikert (Track & Field).

The class will be inducted on the weekend of Novembeer 2, 2024. This induction will be in conjunction with Clemson’s football game against Louisville.

Seven members of the class earned All-America honors in their respective careers, four helped Clemson earn ACC team championships, and four were drafted to play professionally.

Biographical information on each selection is listed on the following pages:

TAJH BOYD, FOOTBALL (2010-13)

· First-team All-American in 2012 according to American Football Coaches Association. · Finalist for the Manning Award, O’Brien Award and Unitas Award as a senior in 2013. · Semifinalist for the Maxwell Trophy · Honorable mention All-American in 2013. · Semifinalist for the O’Brien Award and Manning Award as a sophomore in 2011. · ACC Player of the Year in 2012 · First-team All-ACC as a sophomore in 2011 · Quarterbacked Clemson to 32 wins in his three years as a starter, at the time tied for the most wins in Clemson history. · Quarterbacked Clemson to its first ACC Championship in 20 years in 2011. · Quarterbacked Clemson to three top 25 seasons, including final #8 AP ranking in 2013 as a senior. · Most Valuable Player of the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2013 season, had record setting game for the bowl in terms of passing yards and total offense. · Quarterbacked Clemson to #11 final AP ranking in 2012. · Finished his career with a then-ACC record 107 touchdown passes and 133 total touchdowns. · Drafted in the sixth round by the New York Jets.

LOUISE GREENWOOD, BASKETBALL (1985-89)

· Second-Team All-ACC in 1989 · 1989 American Women’s Sports Federation All-American in 1989 (Honorable Mention) · Fourth on the Clemson career list for most rebounds with 859 · 14th on the all-time Clemson career scoring list with 1,268 points · Tied for 10th on the school’s all-time list for career field goals made (532) · Finished career sixth on the school’s career list for most blocked shots with 81 · Fifth on the school’s list for best free throw percentage (.765) · 10th on the school’s list for best career rebounding average (7.7) · Named Most Valuable Player of the 1987 Georgia Southern Invitational · Finished career tied with Mary Ann Cubelic for Clemson’s best career free throw percentage in the ACC Tournament (.857) · Led Clemson in rebounding in 1986-87 and 1987-88.

MICHAEL JOHNSON, BASEBALL (2000-03)

· Four-year starter at first base, leading the Tigers to College World Series appearances in 2000 and 2002, and winning 185 games in his four seasons. · Two-Time First-Team All-ACC (2002, 2003) · In his four-year career, Johnson was a career .344 hitter with 58 homers, 52 doubles, 213 RBIs, 169 walks, 25 stolen bases, and a .465 on-base percentage in 235 games. · Hit 10 homers against rival South Carolina in 16 career games, twice earning the Bob Bradley Award for being the top Tiger in the series. · Had a career .368 batting average in NCAA Tournament play. Also has hit 9 homers, 8 doubles, and 26 RBIs along with a .829 slugging percentage and .456 on-base percentage in 23 NCAA Tournament games. · Had a career .500 batting average (17-for-34) with 4 homers, 11 RBIs, a 1.000 slugging percentage, and a .581 on-base percentage in 10 ACC Tournament games. · Co-captain, First-Team All-ACC and First Team All-Atlantic Region selection, received the Michel (Team MVP) Award in 2003. · Second-Team All-American by ABCA, Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, First Team All-ACC selection in 2002. · Drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 2nd round of the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft.

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JESSICA LEIDECKER, ROWING (2006-09)

· Two-time All-American, just the third Clemson women’s rower so honored. · Second-team All-American as a junior in 2008 and first-team as a senior in 2009 · Two-time first-team All-ACC, two-time first-team All-Region · As a junior, member of Varsity 8 that advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time. · As a senior helped Clemson to its first ACC team title and ACC Crew of the Year (Varsity 8). · Helped Clemson finish 12th in the nation at the NCAA Rowing Championships in 2009 · Twice competed for US Rowing at U23 World Championships. Member of fourth-place Women’s 4- in 2008 and Silver Medal Women’s 8+ in 2009.

MARK LISI, SOCCER (1997-2000)

· Named first-team All-American by the NSCAA, Soccer America, and Soccer Times in 2000 and a second-team All-American by Soccer News in 1998. · Member of the All-ACC First Team in 1998, 1999, and 2000 · Member of ACC Championship (regular season and tournament) team in 1998 · Went to four NCAA Tournaments, including the Round of 16 in 2000 and the NCAA Quarterfinal in 1997 and 1998. · Finished his career with 33 goals, 37 assists and 103 points · Member of the ACC 50-Year Anniversary Team · In the 2000 season, he led Clemson with 15 goals and eight assists for 38 points · All-ACC Tournament in 1998 · Led the NCAA with 17 assists in 1998. · 2000 team MVP · Selected third overall in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United, playing professionally until 2006.

JULIE RODRIGUEZ, VOLLEYBALL (1993-96)

· Three-time All-ACC Selection (1994-96), including First-team selections in 1995 and 1996 · Two-time AVCA First-Team All-Region Selection (1995, 1996) · Played NCAA Tournament teams in 1993 and 1994. The 1993 team earned Clemson’s first-ever NCAA Volleyball Tournament bid and the 1994 team earned the program’s first win in NCAA Tournament play. · ACC Rookie-of-the-Year (1993) · Only player in Clemson volleyball history with 1,500 or more kills and 1,500 or more digs. · Tied for the Clemson career lead with 135 career starts, second in Clemson volleyball history with 1,523 career digs and fifth with 1,720 kills. · Top 10 in Clemson history for career attempts (3rd), kills per set (7th) and digs per set (4th) · ACC 50-Year Anniversary Team (2002)

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VICTOR SMALLS, TRACK & FIELD (1983-86)

· Still holds Clemson’s high jump record at 7-6 ½, set in 1986. · ACC high jump champion in 1985 and 1986. · Three-time All-American in the high jump; finished fourth outdoors in 1985 with 7-5 leap, then finished sixth in 1986 with 7-1 figure. Had a sixth-place indoors in 1985. · The first indoor field event All-American in Clemson history.

SAMMY WATKINS, FOOTBALL (2011-13)

· Three-time first-team All-American, one of just five in Clemson history. · Unanimous first-team Freshman All-American in 2011. · First-team All-ACC in 2011 and 2013. · Finalist for the Biletnikoff Award in 2013. · Had 101 receptions in his final year for 1,464 yards and 12 touchdowns, still records for receptions and yards in a season. · In the final game of his career vs. Ohio State in the 2013 season Orange Bowl, had 16 catches for 227 yards, both single-game Clemson records and Orange Bowl records. · National Freshman of the Year by Columbus, Ohio TD Club, and the Sporting News. · ACC Rookie of the Year in 2011. · Finished his career with 240 receptions for 3,391 yards and 27 touchdowns. · Second in Clemson history in total receptions, still first in reception yards and tied for first in career reception touchdowns. · Fourth pick of the 2014 NFL Draft by Buffalo Bills, which was tied for the highest NFL draft pick in school history at the time; Now tied for second.

STEPHANIE WEIKERT, TRACK & FIELD (1981-85)

· No. 2 outdoor all-time performance list for 5000m—16.06.13 (1983) · 1982 outdoor All-American 3000m—9.33.93 (5th place) · 1981 All-District/region performer 15th place with a time of 17:59 · 1982 All-District/region performer 7th place with a time of 17:05 · 1982 All-American 16th place with a time of 17:26 · All-ACC in 1982 and 1983 · ACC 50th anniversary team selection in 2002

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IPTAY LEGACY:

DOUG KINGSMORE’S STORY

PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE OF CLEMSON: DOUG KINGSMORE’S STORY TOLD BY HIS SON, MIKE KINGSMORE.

BY ASHBY BURTON

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HEN PLANNED GIFTS ARE MADE TO IPTAY, IT GUARANTEES THE success of future generations of Clemson Tigers for the foreseeable future. Planned gifts are crucial for the success of IPTAY and Clemson Athletics. Seeds planted with planned gifts today help lay the foundation for people to build upon moving forward.

Planned gifts can be made through bequests, life insurance policies, charitable lead trusts, and other instruments as intended by the donor. IPTAY Legacy is IPTAY’s reimagined planned giving program focusing on the support of the IPTAY Athletic Endowment, which provides a constant source of financial support through continued investments and earnings.

Many stories highlight the impact of the legacy left by planned gifts. Doug Kingsmore’s story is the epitome of success that propels the Clemson Family forward. We all know the name that associates Clemson Baseball and Doug Kingsmore Stadium, but few know the why behind the support provided by the Kingsmore Family. Through sharing this story, the Kingsmore Family hopes that others will help fuel the future success of Clemson Athletics via IPTAY Legacy, too.

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MOST OF THE CLEMSON COMMUNITY KNOWS YOUR FATHER’S STORY: BASEBALL PLAYER AND CLEMSON BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEMBER. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT DOUG KINGSMORE? MK: Dad was probably just as good as a football player as he was baseball. Most people don’t know that he started his playing career on the football team at Newberry College.

After his first semester, he received a call from Frank Howard, who told him his career would be in baseball. He then decided to come to Clemson, and he was the epitome of a Clemson man. Baseball was just the start.

As a baseball player at Clemson, I don’t think many people know just how good he was. He had ten home runs in 88 at-bats. That percentage record held for 68 years before Max Wagner broke it a few years ago. In today’s age of games and player development, that record is incredibly impressive when you think about it. He didn’t commit a single error until his last game at Clemson. He was an amazing athlete, and his time as an athlete made him successful in his business career.

Dad was a successful businessman. He quickly worked his way up in administration in the textile and manufacturing industry. It wasn’t long before he became president and chairman of four prominent textile companies. Because of his sports background, he approached business with a team approach. His employees referred to him as “Coach.”

People respected him as a leader because of his presence and belief in others. He was a master motivator, capable

of jumpstarting anyone. He used the mindset of “hate losing as much as you love winning.” With his ability to motivate people, there was no doubt that he could pull the best out of everyone.

DOUG KINGSMORE IMPACTED CLEMSON’S CAMPUS, MOST NOTABLY WITH CLEMSON BASEBALL. WHAT LED HIM TO MAKE THIS IMPACT? MK: Beyond baseball, he was one of the more active Trustee Emeriti. After his stint on the Board of Trustees, he attended numerous building dedications, served on committees, and always loved connecting future students to Clemson.

After helping students find Clemson, he would follow them through their time in school and then attend their graduation ceremonies. This illustrates how his Clemson impact continued. ....

Specifically for baseball, he (and our family) was interested in giving back and investing in the place that has given so much to us. We truly are a Clemson Family. As it stands now, everyone in our

family, including Dad’s kids, spouses, and (so far!) all of his grandkids, have attended Clemson. After talking the gift over with some key people at Clemson, it became clear that a gift would help make Clemson Baseball better. Dad wanted to do what he could to give back to his experience.

It meant a lot to Dad and our family to do this. His gift kickstarted the experience that Doug Kingsmore Stadium is now. The gift helped transform the facility, making it better for the next generation of Clemson Tiger Baseball. Now, when you attend a game at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, you can see the impact, as the Stadium consistently ranks as one of the best in the country regarding facility and atmosphere. A legacy can leave a lasting impact.

the impact that it could make firsthand.

Giving led to more stories, generations of stories, that would continue to impact and improve Clemson. Dad’s gift laid the foundation for more people to follow.

Our advice is to do the same; lay the foundation for others to build on, which best represents the epitome of the Clemson Family. We all hope that others will make a similar impact. No matter the size of the gift, the seed you plant today will make an incredible impact on Clemson tomorrow.

To learn more about how you can leave your legacy, scan the QR code below.

WHAT WOULD YOUR FATHER WANT SOMEONE CONSIDERING A PLANNED GIFT TO KNOW? MK: Dad donned the Paw every day of his life, right up to his last day. Encouraging others to invest in Clemson was important to him because he had seen ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 55

CLEMSON ROAD SHOW MAKES FIVE STOPS IN 2024 THE NEW EVENT BROUGHT CLEMSON TO CITIES ACROSS THE CAROLINAS.

BY ASHBY BURTON

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HE ALL-NEW CLEMSON ROAD SHOW MADE ITS WAY AROUND THE Carolinas during April and May. The five-stop tour begin in Greenville, S.C., on April 22 before concluding in Columbia, S.C., on May 22. The Road Show also made stops in Charlotte, N.C, and additional stops in South Carolina with Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Each stop of the 2024 Clemson Road Show was met with a sold out crowd.

The tour, formerly known as Prowl and Growl, featured ten Clemson Athletics Head Coaches over the five stops, Clemson Athletics Director Graham Neff, pictures with the Tiger,

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giveaways, and more. Attendees heard from coaches and athletics administration while enjoying the modern venues that highlighted the tour.

“The feedback we received about the new format of the event from venue to format, to interactions was extremely positive,” said IPTAY CEO, Davis Babb. “Our head coaches and administration loved the opportunity to bring “Clemson” to the loyal fans at each stop. We are grateful for the support in each city and to those who joined us at each stop.”

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Hello Tigers,

G

RASSROOTS. WE HEAR THAT WORD FREQUENTLY AROUND CLEMSON, and it's probably an understated value for all of us who have spent time in these hills. At our core, Clemson has always been a University that has achieved success through grassroots efforts, often as a scrappy underdog constantly fighting above our weight. I'll never forget the national title run in 2016 when Coach Swinney, holding his first National Championship trophy, coined the phrase "Little 'Ole Clemson."

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines grassroots simply as "the very foundation or source." The 22,000+ members of IPTAY are the foundation or source of much of our studentathlete's success, on the fields, courts or tracks, and in the classroom.

Almost 90 years to the day, Rupert Fike gathered some of his friends, all of whom cared deeply about Clemson and its success. He started a grassroots campaign to help support and strengthen our athletic programs to keep pace with the larger flagship universities our teams competed against. Now, 90 years later, our pervasive grassroots mentality has become an integral part of the fiber of IPTAY. We've always been built on the premise that many of us are "All In" and willing to provide what we can to impact much.

A USA Today article published in August 2023 highlighted the cumulative donations given to athletics at all schools since 2005. Sitting prominently at number seventeen in the country is "Little 'Ole Clemson," with $476 million dollars, or about half of what other flagship schools like Texas, Texas A&M, or Oregon had collected.

But here's the interesting part: Clemson had about twice as many donors as those top schools. The Clemson Family is stepping up time and time again to provide what they can to enable us to compete and win at the highest levels of any of our 19 programs. To our student-athletes achieving alltime high GPAs and unparalleled graduating rates, literally no one does it better than Clemson. The primary driver of our success and ability to compete – inside the classroom or in athletic competition - against the best in the country has been our IPTAY Annual Fund, fueled by 22,000+ strong who unselfishly give back to our beloved Clemson.

But the grassroots mentality deep within our collective DNA applies so much more than just giving to the IPTAY Annual Fund. For example: · IPTAY's REP (Retain Engage Promote) Program: For decades, it has been an effective way to increase our connectivity with our communities. Our more than 112 IPTAY Reps are like you and me, die hard Tigers who simply want to help support, connect, and give back. · Clemson Road Show: The traveling event on the move throughout the Carolinas, meeting many of you in your city.

Most coaches at other schools stopped these events when COVID-19 hit, and they never started back, but Clemson 58 | ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | ISSUE 6 | 2023-24

didn't because it's that grassroots and personalized presence that makes Clemson uniquely Clemson. · 110 Society: Clemson's newest grassroots effort. The collective is based on the premise that many throughout our Clemson Family will give what they can, amounting to much, to support our more than 550 student-athletes. Like how IPTAY began more than 90 years ago, the formation of the 110 Society is the wave of the future. I cannot stress enough that your involvement in the 110 Society, where many people give a little, will make a crucial impact on the future of Clemson Athletics.

The world of collegiate athletics will continue to change, and so will collegiate athletic support. In a drastically changing landscape, some organizations will be rudderless with no clear direction or idea of what or where their plan might be taking them. But those who are true to the core purpose and remember their (grass)roots are the ones who will adapt, become more agile and strengthen.

Since 1934, when Rupert Fike and friends gathered and chartered a little grassroots group called IPTAY, we have been the preeminent athletic fundraising organization nationally.

That grassroots effort only worked because of the undying loyalty of our 22,000+ supporters, who are willing to give what we can to provide much. You have been the very foundation or source of our success..

And most of all, Go Tigers!

Billy Milam President, IPTAY Board of Directors

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 59

Where adventure comes naturally

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CLEMSON GRADUATION Clemson University student-athletes earned a record 3.31 cumulative GPA in the Spring 2024 semester, the 12th consecutive semester greater than 3.0 dating to the Fall of 2018. Every Clemson team recorded a 3.0 or higher in both the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters.

PHOTO BY CLEMSON UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 61

DONOR PHOTOS EMAIL PHOTO, CAPTION AND IPTAY NUMBER TO: KELSEY TIBBS KTibbs@clemson.edu, or mail to IPTAY, Attn: Kelsey Tibbs, P.O. Box 1529, Clemson, S.C. 29633

Four Tigers at Lake Como.

Left to right: Cooper Sanders ('23), Beth Sanders ('90), John Sanders ('25), Jason Sanders ('90).

Wilmer & Dawn Arnette and Corey & Michell LaCross visiting Cozumel, Mexico!

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Jillian Rosborough ('23) visiting Death Valley National Park in August 2023. Home of Howard’s Rock!

Edwin and Jackey Waingart, parents of alumna, Cristina Waingart Gerrald ('20), in Antarctica.

Beth and Walt ('72) Kelly on snorkeling trip off of Cozumel, Mexico.

35 years after graduation, former Clemson roommates Carolyn (Barrett) Mizell ('89) and Nancy (Malay) Fallon ('89) travel to Philly for a girls’ weekend.

Gil ('75) and Nelson Little enjoying a Cuban Classic Car Club ride. In front of Cuban National Library on April 24, 2024.

Ken Pankopp ('74) and Bill Cooper ('70) visited the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta with their wives, Pat and Sarah, in October. The Festival is the world's most photographed event.

Clemson's Lutheran Campus Ministry visiting the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, Germany.

ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE | 63

THE

LAST WORD

T

CLEMSON'S ELITE EIGHT BASKETBALL TEAMS

BY TIM BOURRET

HE TWO CLEMSON MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS THAT REACHED THE Elite Eight, a historic level of postseason play 44 years apart and I saw 32 games each season. In 1979-80, I witnessed all 32 games as the men’s basketball SID and color commentator on the radio for away games. 32 of the 36 played this year as the color commentator on the Clemson Radio Network.

I feel very fortunate to have seen those historic seasons as they were thrilling runs that have and will provide memorable moments high on my list of 46 years working in Clemson Athletics.

There were many similarities and differences between the teams whether it be performance on the court, as a team, or individually.

First, let’s put the state of college basketball for each era into perspective.

In 1979-80, there was no 3-point line or shot clock. The 3-line goal came into college basketball as a national rule in 1986-87. From an X’s and O’s standpoint, it was a different game 44 years ago, because it centered around the low postpower game.

The starting lineup for the 1979-80 Tigers included 6-10 forward Horace Wyatt, 6-10 forward Larry Nance, and 6-10, 250-pound center John “Moose” Campbell. They were known as the “Clemson Skyline.”

With such a strong front line that could dominate the defensive boards, Head Coach Bill Foster’s team played an up-tempo style. They averaged 80 points per game, one of just eight teams in school history to reach that level.

Shooting guard Billy Williams scored 17.6 points per game, including 20.0 per game in ACC play, and made First Team All-ACC and Honorable Mention All-American. Nance averaged 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds as a budding junior star who would go on to a 13-year NBA career.

This year’s Clemson team did not feature quite as big a front line, but it was a team that had a positive rebound margin and could score in the post. Like the 1979-80 Tigers, this year’s Clemson squad had a First Team All-ACC player in PJ Hall, who finished the season averaging 18.3 points per game.

Hall was a cross between Williams and Nance in that he played a position similar to Nance but had a scoring average similar to Williams.

Clemson’s 1979-80 team won 23 games and this year’s Tigers won 24. Bill Foster’s club of 44 years ago had six wins

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over the top 20 teams, still the most in Clemson history.

Five of the six came in Littlejohn Coliseum, most at home in school history.

Brad Brownell’s team had four wins over the top 25 teams this year, but all four took place away from home, a season record for road-ranked wins.

That included beating No. 3 North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the first time Clemson had beaten a Top 25 North Carolina team on the road in 38 attempts. This was the secondhighest-ranked team Clemson has beaten on the road.

While the win total was just about the same, the records home and away were drastically different between the only two Clemson teams to reach the Elite Eight. Foster’s 1979-80 team was 15-0 at home, including 7-0 in the ACC. One of the ACC wins was over No. 1 ranked Duke, the first win over No. 1 in Clemson history.

This year’s Clemson team set a school record for wins away from home with twelve. Seven were against NCAA Tournament teams, the most in a season in school history.

There were similarities and differences in each team’s historic run in the NCAA Tournament. Both teams were just 3-3 in their final six games entering the NCAA Tournament and both teams were No. 6 seeds in the West Region.

This year’s team was the underdog in each of its first three NCAA games and gained victories over No. 3 Baylor and No. 2 Arizona. The win over Arizona is the highest-seeded team Clemson has beaten in the NCAA Tournament.

The 1979-80 team beat No. 3 seed Brigham Young and future Boston Celtic Danny Ainge. But the team of yesteryear only had to beat No. 8 seeded Lamar in the third game to reach the Elite Eight.

Perhaps the most important common denominator between these two “Elite” teams, was the leadership, by players and coaches.

The 1979-80 team had great senior leadership that featured point guard Bobby Conrad, who won the James Weaver Award as the ACC’s top all-around student-athlete.

This year’s Clemson team also had great player leadership behind senior PJ Hall. If I had to select one student-athlete leader for all Clemson teams this year it would be Hall.

The head coach of each team provided great leadership.

Bill Foster and Brad Brownell must be regarded as two of the best in Clemson history when it comes to in-game strategy, game plans, player management, and representing Clemson University.

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