WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Football has been one of America’s favorite pastimes for years. The sport brings people of different genders, ages, races, and ethnicities together for one sole purpose: the love of the game. In 1889, Clemson University was founded and placed on the map. The State of South Carolina, as well as the nation, would be forever impacted.
For 125 years, the Clemson Football Program has created a brand as well as a team encompassing passion, excitement, and success. Clemson trains athletes and coaches to the best of their abilities which draws in fans from all over the country. Though many higher education institutions have football programs, the culture and traditions that embody the Clemson Tigers are extraordinary. This blog will go into detail on how Clemson University and in particular, Clemson Football as a brand has continued to thrive and prosper regardless of winning or losing. The Tigers draw fans in and exemplify their love for College Football.
There's something in these hills
Clemson provides a home away from home for their students, educators, alumni, and fans. How so you may ask? It is a simple answer really. The community that Clemson creates is unlike any other. Clemson forms a connection between sports and students, combined with the rituals and traditions that are instilled within the University.
There are many traditions that occur before, during, and after the Clemson Tigers play football. For example, the Tigers enter the stadium as “Tiger Rag” is blaring through the speakers. “Tiger Rag” is known to be “the song that shakes the southland” to many tiger fans and Clemson alum (Traditions). Students create a path that enables the coaches and the team to run through and enter the field. Before the cannons are bursting in the air and the team rushes the field, each player rubs the infamous rock brought from Death Valley, California; known by fans as “Howard's Rock.” It was first placed on the top of the hill in 1966, and became a ritual when the renowned coach, Frank Howard, told his team, “If you’re going to give me 110 percent, you can rub that rock. If you’re not, keep your filthy hands off it” (Kelly, 2014). Since, it has been a sentiment for both players and spectators. After touching this mystical rock, the team begins to sprint down the hill. Most Tiger fans know this to be the “most exciting 25 seconds in college football.”
DEATH VALLEY
Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, also known as Death Valley, is a staple for the School. It was given the nickname “Death Valley” by Lonnie McMillian, the Presbyterian College head coach, because his team constantly lost there. From then on, Clemson fans, coaches, and players began referring to the stadium as “Death Valley” (Hero Sports, 2018). The servicescape of the stadium and football facilities have been renovated throughout the years, especially after national championship wins. These improvements were made to further market the experience of going to a Clemson game. and being part of the athletic program. The atmospherics create an intense feeling of excitement and competition. The smells of concession food fill the arena. The Tiger Band plays their music and when they stop, popular hype songs play which keeps the excited fans on their feet. All that can be seen are waves of people in orange and purple flooding the stands, anxiously awaiting the start of the game.
“Where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness; Where the Tigers play; Here the sons of dear Old Clemson, Reign supreme always.” – Clemson Alma Mater
ALMA MATER SALUTE
Clemson began reciting the alma Mater when it was first established as a military college. The students would wave their hats in the air during each game. In modern times however, this paradigm has shifted, and the song is now sung concluding the game. The fans in the stadium put their hands around one another and sway to the music. The football team gathers at the tiger paw on the 50 yard line to sing it too. The lyrics are broadcasted on the big screens while everyone harmonizes with one another. This tradition creates a deep bond between fans that cannot be matched. The sense of community is very strong.
FOURTH QUARTER HYPE VIDEO
The video shown on the big screens before the fourth quarter starts is a classic and favorite for Tiger fans. The hype video gets everyone on their feet, roaring for their tigers. These hype videos show the team in practice, putting their blood, sweat, and tears, into the game. It illustrates all the hard work that has been put into the Clemson Football program and changes the attitude for the reaming fifteenminutes of playing time. The Fourth Quarter Hype video films the team’s great leaders.
In a TED talk about leadership, Simon Sinek referred to the concept of “The Golden Circle.” He speaks on this golden circle and explains that all powerful leaders whether it’s a team captain or head coach think the same. Good leaders know what they do, how they do it, and why they are doing it (Sinek, 2009). The hype video is a perfect example showcasing the team leadership of the Clemson Tigers. It shows the “why” in the Golden Circle, focusing on the Clemson Tiger’s beliefs and purpose. The Tigers strive to be the best and they greet challenge rather than run from it.
“ALL IN”
The Clemson Tigers create an environment that evokes passionate feelings associated with the brand. The emotional involvement the fans have towards the team is quite intense. Zillman and Paulus explain the difference between fans and spectators when discussing sports. The contrast between the two is in their emotional involvement. Spectators watch whereas fans see themselves as members of a team. This is the highest level of involvement that sports teams try to reach. Successful service brands are formed by creating an emotional connection with their intended audience, which Clemson goes above and beyond in doing (Underwood et al., 2015). Sports are usually characterized by high consumer commitment and emotional involvement. Fans derive their passion and identity from their specific affiliation. Sports fan’s involvement tends to be high because fans view the team as an extension of themselves; meaning a team victory is a personal victory and a team failure is a personal loss. According to Leonard Berry, this deep connection is achieved with brands that mirror the customers (or in this case fans) values; values that in fact “capture and communicate values that customers hold dear.” Clemson values their players. The football team and the fans believe that it is important to be 100 percent present and to be fiercely confident. If one can show up and show out their opponent, they are capable of anything. This belief can be correlated with a common saying for Tiger fans. Everyone must be “All In.” This slogan is plastered on Tiger merchandise, posters, and billboards around the campus and football facilities
“All In” – it’s not just a slogan, It’s a way of life here, and it’s about being committed to just doing the best you can with what you’ve got. That’s what it’s about. It’s about doing your very best on and off the field – and the same thing with the coaches, man. Just take what you’ve got and do the best you can. Just be fully committed to the task at hand – and it’s been fun to be a part of it." - Dabo Swinney
“WHO SHALL SEPARATE US NOW?”
When life is in full swing, it is obvious that not every fan will be able to attend the games. Though the absent fans are not physically at the game, they are present in spirit. A prime example of the bond Clemson creates between fans is the Clemson Club. The Clemson Club is a secondary group that comes together every time the Tigers compete. Even though the members only meet during football season, there are strong ties that cannot be broken. According to the Clemson Club homepage, the club “exists to serve alumni, friends and graduates of Clemson University by providing them with opportunities to network and gather to celebrate Clemson. Because of the varied locations and interests of members of our Clemson family, we have developed clubs across the country to provide special opportunities for information exchange and activities.” The members meet at local restaurants in their region and watch the games together. There is food, drinks, retired members of the Clemson University Tiger Band, and a family atmosphere that is created. This brand community was formed around the Clemson Football Team and is a way for tiger fans to return to their home away from home. Another reference group that was formed around Clemson sports is IPTAY. IPTAY is an acronym that originally stood for “I pay ten a year” but now is a collegiate club that connects its members with Clemson athletics (IPTAY, 2021). This formal group has over 8,000 members nationally and continues to expand. IPTAY has drastically increased the relationship quality between the Athletic Program and Clemson fans.
"It was just that family feel." ~ On his commitment to Clemson - Tavien Feaster
Tiger Spirit
Clemson fans, like most other sports lovers, believe that their team is elite. Sports fan ethnocentrism, which is derived from consumer ethnocentrism, is the feeling that an athlete from their own team is deemed superior to players of other teams (Sanghyun et al,.2021). Ethnocentrism is crucial to fans' attitudes towards sports.
Before the Coronavirus swept over the globe, forever changing lives, fans would rush the football field after the game to try to get closer to the team. Fans stampede to get that one picture, that one autograph, that one high five from their favorite player. Sports fans hold their sports team to a higher, ideological level.
Sports have and will continue to impact social and cultural standards of society. It is part of American culture to have a “favorite team” and “favorite players.” There are even fantasy leagues made all because of the love for the game. Clemson University and their athletic program have shaped the market for sports entertainment; giving people plenty of reasons to adore the Tigers. Fans of Clemson clearly love the team, but the traditions and beliefs of Clemson will continue to draw in new fans forever and always.
Works Cited
College football trivia: Who first called their stadium 'death valley': Clemson or LSU? HERO Sports News. (2018, July 19). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://herosports.com/trivia-lsu-clemson-death-valley-first-ahah/.
Home. Clemson Alumni Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://alumni.clemson.edu/get-involved/clemson-clubs/.
https://clemsontigers.com/. (2018, April 12). Clemson Alma mater. Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://clemsontigers.com/clemson-alma-mater/.
https://iptaycuad.com/. (2021, September 13). Welcome to IPTAY. IPTAY. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://iptaycuad.com/welcome-to-iptay/.
Kelley, D. (2014, October 28). Clemson football: Running down the Hill rated top entrance. Rubbing the Rock. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://rubbingtherock.com/2014/10/28/clemson-football-running-hill-top-entrance-video/#:~:text=And%20of%20course%2C%20you%20can,your%20filthy%20hands%20off%20it.%E2%80%9D.
Sinek, S. (2009, September). How great leaders inspire action. TED. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action#t-216980.
Traditions: Clemson University, South Carolina. Traditions | Clemson University, South Carolina. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.clemson.edu/about/traditions.html.
Underwood, R., Bond, E., & Baer, R. (2015, December 8). Building Service Brands via Social Identity: Lessons from the sports marketplace. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10696679.2001.11501881?needAccess=true&journalCode=mmtp20