Spring Game Notes: Sunny skies await fans in Death Valley

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney hopes to see a big crowd on a nice day in Clemson for the spring game.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Apr 14 07:00:20 GMT-04:00 2023

The spring game is finally here, and it looks like the weather will cooperate. What will we see on the field? That remains to be seen.

Head coach Dabo Swinney made the decision to move the spring game away from Easter (and The Masters) weekend and moved it to this Saturday, and it’s a good thing he did. Anyone who watched the few hundred souls (if there were that many) at the Auburn spring game will understand. The weather was cold (in the 40s in Clemson) with torrential downpours most of the day.

This Saturday? Party sunny with a high near 80 degrees. Swinney said he hopes there are plenty of fans in attendance to watch the Tigers, especially with a bevy of high-profile recruits in attendance.

“We need it, and again, we’ve got a ton of recruits coming, a ton,” Swinney said on Out of Bounds on The Roar WCCP FM. “And it’s a big deal when these guys, especially the type of guys that we’re recruiting – they’re going to go all over the country, and for them to come in here and to be able to see the type of support that we have here. It’s going to be a fun day, it’s going to be an entertaining day, it’s going to be a competitive day.”

Swinney hopes the big crowd adds a little pressure to the younger players who have never played in Death Valley.

“We’re going to have a lot of guys that we’re going to have to really depend on, and we don’t get preseason games,” he said. “We don’t get that where you can go play a game and the crowd’s there and all that, that moment to where you can kind of work out the kinks a little bit and the butterflies and all that.

“I don’t care how good of a player you are, when you get out there and you’re performing in front of that amount of people, there’s a little bit of anxiety that comes with it. So to be able to really put the pressure on these guys, that to me is the biggest benefit, and that doesn’t happen if you’ve got 1,500 people in the stands.”

Swinney said he hopes the fans make it part of a big day in Clemson – Clemson baseball is also retiring Jack Leggett’s No. 7 Saturday.

“It’s just a great day, man. Why not come to Clemson?” Swinney asked. “It’s going to be a great day. There’s a lot going on. You’ve got baseball, there’s all kind of stuff going on on campus, and just a good excuse to come and get a chance to see some of these guys. You’re going to love seeing some of these young guys and some of these guys that are really developed over this past year.”

For those who are wondering, there is no surplus sale this year. Other items of note:

Kickoff: Saturday, April 15, 1 p.m. • Clemson Memorial Stadium.

Gameday Events

*9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Be A T.I.G.E.R. Field Day presented by BASF of Seneca. (Littlejohn Lawn)

*9 a.m. – TigerTown Tailgate opens – Littlejohn Coliseum southeast pavilion.

*11:40 a.m.: Tiger Walk Driven by Chevrolet – Press Rd.

*10 a.m. – 1 p.m. McCarter Family IPTAY Center will be open.

Parking/Traffic

*Lots open at 8 a.m.

*ADA Parking is available at the North Lot (C-7) and Centennial Lot (C-9); Baseball ADA lot will be held

Centennial Blvd. on the west side of the stadium is CLOSED, including Lot 5.

*All other parking is first-come, first-served.

*Fans are encouraged to visit downtown businesses on gameday.

*There will be no contra-flow traffic pattern postgame.

*Woodland Cemetery on the Clemson campus is sacred ground and home to more than 1,200 souls buried in marked and unmarked graves. At this time, the cemetery is closed to pedestrians. Motorized vehicles and skateboards are not permitted within the cemetery.

Stadium Construction

*The West stands and marked areas of the lower deck will have limited availability.

*Fans will not be able to travel from the North and South outside the stadium in the west.

*Centennial Blvd. on the west side of the stadium is CLOSED, including Lot 5

Admission

*Gates open at 11:30 a.m.

*Admission is free and open to the public – No ticket is needed, and there is no reserved seating.

*Masters Club seats in the west are first-come/first-serve for general public.

*The clear bag policy is in effect.

*Routine metal detector screening will take place.

*Fans should primarily enter through gates 1, 5, 9, and 13. North Upper Deck (Gate 20) will be opened if needed. Please be aware of construction and allow extra time to enter the stadium.