Clemson and LSU announce the first ever Death Valley Tigers vs. Death Valley Tigers series, and this is awesome

LSU and Clemson have agreed to a home-and-home series, with LSU traveling to Clemson in 2025, and vice versa in 2026. This is a pretty awesome matchup, and the series is unique to both programs — they’ve met a total of three times, all of those being in bowl games.

The other part that’s awesome is this pretty significant series could have easily been played in a neutral-site, NFL stadium — what these bigger matchups are typically reserved for nowadays. Instead, both schools get to host a game to give opposing fans a taste to travel to a unique atmosphere. And what home fans don’t love hosting a huge game like this?

Overall, LSU leads Clemson 2-1 in head-to-head matchups. LSU won the first two in 1959 and 1996 in the Sugar and Peach Bowls, respectively. The last game between these two was in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and it was a 25-24 thrilling Clemson victory.

In addition to putting two perennial powers together head-to-head, college football’s two Death Valley stadiums will get the spotlight.

Speaking of Death Valley, a funny thing that happened with the announcement — LSU had no problems with calling Clemson Memorial Stadium “Death Valley” ...

... while Clemson didn’t return the favor in its text, but did in its graphic.

Clemson officials have insisted in the past that theirs is the original Death Valley. Via Post and Courier:

In 1943, Presbyterian defeated Clemson, 13-12. A year later, Clemson avenged the loss with a 34-0 victory. In 1945, it was even worse for visiting Presbyterian — a 76-0 defeat.

That’s when McMillian, who had visited Death Valley, Calif., on his way to Los Angeles for the 1932 Olympic Games, coined Clemson’s Memorial Stadium as college football’s Death Valley. He noted that the stadium, which is located in a natural ravine and built of concrete instead of metal because of shortages during Wold War II, is brutally hot in early fall and one of the toughest places for visiting teams to play.

...

″(Gault) said, ‘I do remember this more than anything — it was hot. I mean, real hot at Clemson,’” Blackman recalled. ”‘You haven’t felt hot until you’ve played at Death Valley in early September.’”

The name was solidified when Howard’s Rock, purchased by a Clemson grad in Death Valley, Calif., was gifted to former Tigers head coach Frank Howard. Clemson players run out of the tunnel and touch the rock before every home game:

Here’s LSU’s story behind the Death Valley nickname:

One local legend suggests that a few years later, LSU began to refer to Tiger Stadium as “Deaf Valley” as a way to differentiate between the Tigers of Clemson, but eventually shifted into “Death Valley” after sports writers and opposing fans from other parts of the country confused the thick Southern accent locals used.

“We take pride in that place,” said LSU senior left tackle Josh Dworaczyk. “It’s more than just that building and the atmosphere. It’s really what possesses that stadium to be one of the worst to play in [for opponents]. … If any stadium deserves to be called Death Valley, it’s certainly ours.”

Sure, 2025 is still seven years away, but its never too early to start getting excited about dope home-and-homes like this one.