Clemson had been vying for ways to enhance the gameday experience for its fans at the Memorial Stadium. So ahead of the season, they have made some improvements: adding handrails throughout the lower deck, cashless transactions at concessions, new modifications to the Gathering at the Paw tradition, and alcohol sales in the venue.

As per the information available, alcoholic beverages will be available at designated Aramark concession stands and kiosks. But this wasn’t a sudden decision. During the spring, Clemson piloted alcohol sales in its athletic venues. That also included the Football Spring Game, a couple of baseball and softball games. However, this expansion also hopes to promote responsible consumption of such beverages.

This plan received inputs from the University Administration, Public Safety officials, industry experts from Aramark Sports and Entertainment, and Clemson Ventures. Additionally, the University has taken the necessary permits from the South Carolina Department of Revenue, which manages the sale of alcohol. The policies the school has come up with will be subject to changes and modifications as per need.

Clemson Athletics and Aramark also came up with another initiative. They partnered with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety to start a program that aims to ensure safe traveling for fans: a designated driver program. The fans who register as designated drivers under the program will receive a complimentary beverage (non-alcoholic).

Alcohol being made available at the venue is something that a section of football fans isn’t happy about. Some of them have been concerned that it could potentially lead to removing the “passout” rule, which allows fans to leave and re-enter the stadium. “As of right now, there are no changes to the re-entry policy, and we don’t see that changing for the 2025 season,” Clemson athletics spokesman Jeff Kallin assured.

Fans will just need to present their re-entry voucher and a valid game ticket to enter the venue once again. And they will have to go through the same security screening as they did while entering the stadium initially. Yet, fans have some other concerns.

Fans fear Clemson’s Game Day emotions could boil over!

Do you remember Clemson’s heartbreaking loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks last year? As Clemson fans followed their post-game tradition of “Gathering at the Paw,” Gamecock fans stormed the field to celebrate their win. This resulted in a field full of players and fans from both sides. And as South Carolina players tried to plant their flag, tempers flared. While Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney described the moment as “death in the middle,” Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer confessed, “It was dangerous. I was lucky to get out alive.” Now that alcohol sales are legal during Clemson games, things are likely to escalate, opined some fans:

• “Great, now they’ll be even more obnoxious.”
• “What could go wrong!”

The Clemson fandom is an emotionally invested group. However, Tyler from Spartanburg is very sensitive about the Tigers. He has been attending Clemson games with his father since he was five years old. In fact, in 2023, Tyler didn’t hesitate to call out Clemson’s HC Dabo Swinney during a radio show. The coach hit back, responding with a nearly five-minute monologue. Referring to this, a fan commented:

• “They better keep Tyler from Spartanburg far, far away from the stadium and Dabo then 👀.”
• “What does reverend Dabo think about this?”

As many X users shared their thoughts, a fan also reminded how the football program isn’t the same anymore. The Clemson Tigers last won a National Championship back in 2018. Hence, the fan mentioned:

• “They’ll need it for how bad their team is.”

However, selling alcohol at the venue will also help the school generate additional income. For instance, they generated $470,927 and sold 39,392 units over 15 events since April 5. That amount was generated in one month, and it included eight baseball games, five softball games and Clemson football’s spring game, and the Savannah Bananas game.