When we talk about Memorial Stadium, the first thing that comes to our mind is the Clemson Tigers. This Saturday, the Tigers (2-1) will host their toughest opponent Stanford (2-1) on their home turf at 7 p.m. ET. Till now, the Tigers have totaled 340 wins in 82 years on their home field. Hence, the stadium has definitely been good for the Tigers. No doubt! However, the question still stands as to when they began performing at Memorial Stadium.

Back on September 19, 1942, the opening of Memorial Stadium at Clemson University in South Carolina saw a football game against Presbyterian College. Since then, several games and events of the University have taken place on the field. But do you know the stadium was made against the advice of coach Jess Neely, who stated, “Don’t ever let them talk you into building a big stadium. Put about 10,000 seats behind the YMCA. That’s all you’ll ever need.” Nonetheless, Clemson supporters are pleased with the current Memorial Stadium ambiance.

You may often listen to ‘Death Valley’ during Clemson’s home game. Yes, ‘Death Valley’ is the moniker of Memorial Stadium. The name basically derives from Death Valley National Park in California, where some believe the location of the stadium is the reason behind such a nickname. But there is another story also which indicates Clemson’s struggle for winning is the main reason behind it. Whatever the reason behind this name, spectators may be bothered about one aspect of the game—seat availability.

Today, the maximum seating capacity of Clemson Memorial Stadium is 81,500, however, standing rooms may hold over 86,000 people. Moreover, the stadium offers a range of seating arrangements, such as covered chair-backs in the WestZone, club seating, suites, and bleacher seats. Along with that, it offers a VIP parking facility. Let’s find out more facts about Memorial Stadium.

Know more about Memorial Stadium

The home stadium of Clemson was christened in honor of Presbyterian College head coach Lonnie McMillian in the late 1940s. Its numerous features, which include a wheelchair-accessible entrance, individually controllable LED light poles, theater-style padded seating, catering, a recruiting lounge, visiting tunnels, the Nieri Enrichment Center, and more, make it 11th in ESPN’s top 25 college football stadiums. As a result, Death Valley’s whole atmosphere offers spectators a unique kind of joy on game days.

The biggest crowd was shown in the stadium in 1999 when the Tigers lost against Florida State, where approximately 86,092 fans attended that game. Besides this, in 2007, the stadium hosted a game between Clemson and Boston College, which broke the record for being the loudest college football stadium at 133 decibels.

However, there are several notable games at Memorial Stadium, but you need to get ready for this Saturday when Clemson will try to make a victory against Stanford. So, savor your Saturday!