Clemson fans run on the field after every game. It’s a tradition at the Tigers’ Memorial Stadium. And traditions aren’t to be broken, even when the game is a pretty underwhelming overtime win against NC State as a two-score favorite, as demonstrated in 2016.
Clemson fans always storm the field, whether it’s an upset win or not
The tradition may not be your cup of tea, but it’s definitely Clemson’s.
This isn’t a new thing. Clemson does this always, and it’s pretty cool.
Here are soggy Clemson fans on the field after the Tigers’ win over Notre Dame in 2015. (Streeter Lecka / Getty.)
And here’s a whole bunch of Clemson fans on the field after the Tigers’ win over Boston College in 2011 — a win over a team that would finish 4-8 on the season, and a win that came just two weeks after a big win over FSU. (Joe Robbins / Getty).
It’s traditional at Clemson for fans to come down onto the field after games and sing the alma mater, and tonight’s “storming the field” was just that: Keeping with tradition. This “Gathering at the Paw” has been in place in its current form since 2003, and dates back far beyond that.
And given the structure of Memorial Stadium, some fans find it easier to leave the facility by walking up the hill that the Tigers run down before kickoff, a different (and cooler) exit than a concourse. For them, taking the field is just a means of getting out of Death Valley.
Clemson’s actually so hospitable, in fact, that opposing teams’ fans can “storm” the field after wins at Memorial Stadium. FSU fans did just that in 2013. (Streeter Lecka / Getty)
In sum: Clemson is cool and weird and allows fans special access to the field of play after games are done. Those fans aren’t really storming the field, or embarrassing themselves. They’re invited guests, and they’re partaking in an unusual tradition.
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