Memorial Stadium (Clemson, SC)

Memorial Stadium is at 1 Avenue of Champions, Clemson, South Carolina 29634. On football Saturdays, use the address and colored approach printed on the parking placard. Entering only the stadium address can route a driver across closed campus streets or against one-way traffic.

Driving & Parking

• From Greenville and I-85
  Most visitors approach on US 123 or US 76 toward Clemson. Expect long queues well outside the city and follow the permit route rather than searching for a shortcut near campus.
• From Atlanta and Anderson
  I-85 connects to SC 28, US 76 and local approaches. Allow substantial extra time when arriving from the southwest because the road network narrows around Lake Hartwell.
• IPTAY parking
  Roughly 15,000 campus spaces are assigned annually to donors. Every reserved lot requires the correct placard, and attendants enforce its designated ingress route.
• Single-game inventory
  Clemson and authorized resellers offer limited passes. Private businesses and residents also sell spaces; legitimate city-authorized operators display an event-parking permit.
• Free remote parking
  Seneca Creek Meadows has served as free general parking with shuttle buses to the Doug Kingsmore Stadium area from lot opening until two hours after the game.
• Lot opening
  For kickoffs before 3:30 p.m., lots open at 6 a.m. For games at 3:30 or later, they open at 8 a.m. Vehicles in football-reserved campus spaces are subject to towing beginning at midnight.
• Accessible parking
  Designated HAP areas and shuttle plans vary by permit. Stadium entrances serving accessible guests include Gates 1, 5, 6 and 13; request the correct parking accommodation before game day.
• Postgame flow
  Police send each lot toward a predetermined highway. The fastest exit is usually the one assigned, even when it initially points away from the hotel.

Public Transit

• CATbus Red Route
  Clemson Area Transit operates the fare-free Red Route on home football days, with campus pickup and drop-off shifted to Cherry Road and Bryan Circle because of closures.
• Seneca Creek shuttle
  The remote-parking bus is the most useful event-specific service for visitors arriving by car without an IPTAY pass.
• Regional rail
  Amtrak's Clemson station is near downtown, but its limited long-distance schedule is not designed around kickoff or postgame departure.
• No ordinary campus service assumption
  Normal weekday CATbus and Tiger Transit routes change or suspend as roads close. Use the football-specific map and live tracker.
• Walking campus
  Downtown Clemson and much of the university are within walking distance, but hills, heat and dense crowds make the trip slower than mileage suggests.

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft)

• Consult the football map
  Clemson can move rideshare staging according to construction and traffic plans. Use the game-week location rather than requesting at Avenue of Champions.
• Downtown approach
  A drop near an open downtown business before roads fully close may be easier than attempting the stadium perimeter.
• Postgame strategy
  Walk beyond the core campus traffic zone before ordering and expect limited driver supply in a small college town.
• Name the intersection
  Send an exact street and side of the road. Barricades can prevent a driver on one side of campus from reaching the other.

Clemson is a classic all-day parking-lot tailgate, with tents and grills spreading across donor fields at dawn. Downtown fills with orange, the team crosses the Brown Family Tiger Walk, Tiger Band performs and fans gradually funnel toward the east end for the run down the Hill.

Tailgating

• IPTAY lots
  The fields and paved areas surrounding the stadium hold generations of family setups. Stay inside the assigned footprint and keep fire lanes, sidewalks and neighboring spaces clear.
• Early start
  A noon game means a 6 a.m. lot opening, giving Clemson one of the longest official pregame windows in the ACC.
• TigerTown Tailgate
  The live Tiger Tailgate Show and associated fan activities provide a public gathering point for visitors without a private setup; the exact location and opening appear in each game guide.
• Solid Green recycling
  Volunteers distribute green bags for bottles, cans and glass. Filled bags can remain at the tailgate or go to marked orange dumpsters.
• Private-yard parking
  Residents and businesses around the city sell parking and often permit small tailgates. Confirm rules, restroom access and exit expectations before paying.
• Fire and alcohol
  Grills and beverages must comply with university, lot and state rules. Outside alcohol cannot enter the stadium even though approved sales now operate inside.
• Homecoming
  Tigerama, alumni events and floats add to the normal scene. Homecoming is the best weekend for pageantry but also one of the hardest for parking.

Pregame Bars & Restaurants

• The Esso Club
  A former service station on the edge of campus, Esso is the essential Clemson bar for memorabilia, cold beer, meat-and-three plates and game-day crowds.
• Tiger Town Tavern
  The upstairs College Avenue institution is packed with students and alumni seeking burgers, wings, beer and televisions.
• TD's of Clemson
  Another longtime downtown sports bar with sandwiches, wings and walls of Tiger history.
• Loose Change
  A relaxed College Avenue stop for burgers, sandwiches and drinks in the center of the downtown walk.
• Sully's Steamers
  Steamed bagel sandwiches provide a quick breakfast or portable meal before an early kickoff.
• Pot Belly Deli
  A Clemson staple for breakfast, deli sandwiches and casual patio seating away from the busiest bar line.
• The Smokin' Pig
  The Pendleton-area barbecue destination is worth the drive on Friday, but limited hours and heavy demand make advance planning essential.
• Pixie & Bill's
  This longstanding local steak-and-seafood restaurant fits a traditional alumni dinner the night before the game.

• Howard's Rock
  Players rub the rock above the east hill before entering. Coach Frank Howard warned the team to give maximum effort or keep their hands off his rock.
• Running Down the Hill
  The team buses around the stadium, gathers behind the rock and charges down the steep east slope as Tiger Band plays and the crowd erupts.
• “Tiger Rag”
  Clemson's signature song becomes the shouted “C-L-E-M-S-O-N” spell-out, punctuated by the well-known “Woo Hoo” response.
• Tiger Walk
  About two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, the team proceeds through the Rogers Family Lot and along the Brown Family Tiger Walk toward the west locker room.
• Tiger Band and the 25
  The band forms the scripted pregame presentation before directing attention to the Hill for the final 25-second entrance.
• Solid Orange
  Fans wear orange as both a visual identity and a sportsmanship pledge honoring the university, team and visiting guests.
• Gathering at the Paw
  After the alma mater, fans may enter the field through the Hill and west ramps under Clemson's current controlled procedure. Do not jump the brick walls.
• The Tiger and Tiger Cub
  Clemson's costumed mascots perform pushups after scores and circulate through tailgates and the sideline.

• Scroll of Honor Memorial
  East of the stadium, the memorial records Clemson alumni who died in military service and restores the meaning behind the formal Memorial Stadium name.
• Military Heritage Plaza
  The landscaped east approach connects service history, Howard's Rock and the sightline into the stadium.
• Brown Family Tiger Walk
  The 708-foot west approach contains plaques for team captains, bronze tiger statues and room for future honorees.
• Howard's Rock
  Mounted on a pedestal above the Hill, the Death Valley stone came from California and became part of the entrance in 1966.
• DaboTron
  The nearly 7,200-square-foot east videoboard towers over the Hill without eliminating the traditional team path.
• WestZone Oculus
  The circular architectural opening frames the west complex and acts as a recognizable entrance to Clemson football operations.
• Natural valley bowl
  Symmetrical upper decks rise from a ravine, producing the steep walls and enclosed acoustics behind the Death Valley name.
• Frank Howard Field
  The playing surface honors the coach and athletic director who shaped Clemson football across three decades.

History & Notable Moments

• Opening game (1942)
  Clemson defeated Presbyterian 32–13 in the new $125,000 stadium.
• Howard's Rock installed (1966)
  The rock appeared above the Hill and soon became the centerpiece of Clemson's entrance.
• Field dedication (1974)
  Clemson named the playing surface for Frank Howard.
• Carolina Panthers season (1995)
  The NFL expansion team used Death Valley while its Charlotte stadium was built.
• Football attendance record (1999)
  A crowd of 86,092 watched Florida State defeat Clemson 17–14.
• “Bring Your Own Guts” (2015)
  Clemson beat No. 6 Notre Dame 24–22 in torrential rain before Dabo Swinney's memorable postgame message.
• Louisville thriller (2016)
  No. 5 Clemson defeated No. 3 Louisville 42–36 in a prime-time meeting of unbeaten teams.
• Renovation completion (2023)
  The new locker room, west tunnel and Brown Family Tiger Walk completed the $69.5 million program.

Death Valley's north and south sidelines carry matching lower and upper decks, the west end contains the principal club and suite complex, and the east end opens around the Hill and videoboard. The orientation produces substantial sun exposure until shadows reach the lower bowl.

• South upper deck
  High rows offer a full tactical view and intense afternoon sun. The climb is long, but cool zones operate at upper-deck ends in hot weather.
• North upper deck
  Similar panoramic geometry with somewhat different sun timing; use the portal printed on the ticket to avoid unnecessary ramps.
• Lower sidelines
  The closest conventional seats put fans inside the sound but can flatten the far side of the field from the first rows.
• WestZone clubs
  The Younts South Club, Masters Club and other west hospitality spaces pair chairbacks with indoor areas and upgraded service.
• Field-level premium seating
  West-end products place guests close to the centered team tunnel and pregame activity, though end-zone football geometry remains.
• The Hill
  Clemson's student-dominated east slope is general-admission in character, steep and tradition-heavy. It is exhilarating but not ideal for guests needing a seatback.
• Visiting sections
  Opponent allocations are generally in corner and upper areas. Confirm the current chart because postseason demand and returned tickets can alter blocks.
• Seatbacks
  Personal soft-sided seatbacks may be no wider than 17 inches and cannot have arms or non-clear storage compartments.

Aramark operates stands and kiosks throughout Memorial Stadium. Gates and concessions open two hours before kickoff, and the venue is now fully cashless. The 2022–23 west work added points of sale, but lines remain longest immediately after the Hill entrance.

• Stadium standards
  Hot dogs, burgers, chicken, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, candy and Coca-Cola products form the core menu.
• Three-dollar water
  Clemson retains fan-friendly bottled-water pricing and adds misting fans and cool zones for early-season heat.
• Beer, seltzer and wine
  Approved stands now sell alcohol to guests 21 and older, with a two-drink transaction limit and service ending after the third quarter.
• Designated driver program
  Eligible guests can pledge not to drink and receive the current non-alcoholic benefit at participating locations.
• West concourse additions
  Newer concession areas serve renovated west sections and reduce the need to cross into older sideline concourses.
• Premium hospitality
  Club and suite food and beverage inclusions depend on the product; some areas retain separate operating procedures.
• Payment
  Bring a card or contactless method. The stadium has no ATMs and concessions do not accept cash.
• Outside drinks
  One factory-sealed clear bottle of water is permitted for heat management; all other outside food and beverages are prohibited.

• One clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches is permitted.
• A one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag is an approved alternative.
• One small clutch no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches may be carried separately.
• Medically necessary bags and items are permitted after security screening.
• Binoculars, cameras, smartphones and blankets may enter, but their noncompliant carrying cases may not.
• Soft seatbacks may be no wider than 17 inches, cannot have arms and cannot contain non-clear compartments.
• Backpacks, large or non-clear bags, coolers, outside food and beverages other than one sealed clear water bottle, umbrellas, artificial noisemakers, banners, flagpoles, video cameras and weapons are prohibited.
• Walk-through metal detectors operate at all entrances. Download mobile tickets to a wallet before reaching the gate; approved re-entry requires both a gate-issued voucher and the valid ticket.