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57-505: The Cigar Bowl was played at old Phillips Field near downtown Tampa from 1947 to 1954. Because the Cigar Bowl featured teams from smaller colleges, however, the 1986 Hall of Fame Bowl was the first major college bowl game to be played in the area. The Hall of Fame Classic was a mid-level bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1985. In the spring of 1986,

114-578: A 231-yard performance by Andre Ellington . This game was notable due to Sammy Watkins' absence, having been suspended the first two games due to a drug-related arrest in May 2012. Auburn leads the overall series 34–15–2 through the 2018 season. The O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy was created in 2008 by the Boston College Gridiron Club to honor the tradition at both schools and to honor the legacy of Charlie O'Rourke and Banks McFadden , who played during

171-466: A Sunday, in which case it is moved to the following Monday. It is usually the first game to start on a day which is traditionally full of college bowl games, and has kicked off as early as 11 a.m. ET . ESPN has had television rights to the game since 1993. Under an extension of those rights signed in 2010, ESPN broadcasts the game on either ABC , ESPN, or ESPN2 , in conjunction with the Citrus Bowl and

228-480: A bowl record of 27-23. Clemson was a College Football Playoff finalist in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019, defeating Alabama in both 2016 and 2018 to secure the national title. Clemson has had six undefeated seasons (including the first-ever 15–0 team), boasted six consecutive playoff appearances from 2015 to 2021, and retains 27 conference championships, including 8 since 2011 . Its alumni include over 100 All-Americans , 17 Academic All-Americans and over 250 players in

285-896: A large modern venue made the prospect financially impossible. Tampa Stadium was constructed in 1967 to serve as a new home field for the Tampa Spartans and, eventually, the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . The area next hosted a college bowl game in 1986, when the Hall of Fame Bowl (later known as the Outback Bowl and currently the ReliaQuest Bowl ) relocated to Tampa from Birmingham, Alabama . # denotes national championship game; † denotes College Football Playoff semifinal game Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football program are

342-537: A money maker for the organization. After the December 1954 game drew a "disappointing" attendance of 6,500 despite featuring the hometown Tampa Spartans, the Shriners decided to end their involvement. No other organization stepped in to take over, and the Cigar Bowl was discontinued. There were several attempts to revive the Cigar Bowl as a major bowl in subsequent years, but the difficulty of drawing top college teams without

399-531: A prosperous city around the turn of the 20th century. The Cigar Bowl marked the first bowl appearances for the Florida State Seminoles (following the 1949 season ) and the Tampa Spartans (following the 1952 season ). When scheduled on New Years Day, the game was usually played in the evening so that fans could follow radio coverage of the marquee bowl games held earlier in the day. In some years,

456-616: A son met as opposing head coaches in a football game. Bobby Bowden won the first four matchups extending FSU's winning streak over Clemson to 11 dating back to 1992. Since 2003, Clemson is 11–6, including a 26–10 win in Clemson over then-No. 3 FSU. Also during this time the Tigers recorded a 27–20 win in Tallahassee in 2006 which broke a 17-year losing streak in Doak Campbell Stadium . 2007 was

513-604: A thrilling 45–40 victory. The next year, the teams again found themselves doing battle in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship in Tampa, Florida , with Clemson emerging with a last-second 35–31 victory and their first win over the Crimson Tide since 1905. Once again the teams met in the 2018 Sugar Bowl semifinal in New Orleans , Louisiana with a trip to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game on

570-560: Is among the largest stadiums in college football . Walter Riggs , often regarded as the "father of Clemson football," brought the sport to Clemson from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now Auburn University ). The team's first game, played on Halloween 1896, resulted in a 2–1 record for the inaugural season. Riggs influenced the choice of the team mascot and colors. The Tigers’ early success included their first undefeated season in 1900 under coach John W. Heisman , who led

627-509: Is considered by the NCAA and ACC to have no winner. Clemson was selected as the one seed in the second College Football Playoff and defeated the fourth seed Oklahoma on December 31, 2015, in the 2015 Orange Bowl . They lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the championship game on January 11, 2016. Clemson was selected to the third College Football Playoff as the second seed and defeated

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684-665: Is defined by the leadership of Dabo Swinney , who became head coach in 2008. Swinney revitalized the program, leading the Tigers to multiple ACC championships and two national titles in 2016 and 2018. His tenure has been characterized by significant achievements, including the establishment of Clemson as a perennial contender in the College Football Playoff. Swinney’s ability to recruit and develop talent, combined with strategic hires like offensive coordinator Chad Morris and defensive coordinator Brent Venables , has sustained Clemson’s success. Notably, under Swinney, Clemson became

741-521: Is excluded from win–loss totals and winning percentage . Source: The inaugural edition of the bowl was carried by Mizlou in December 1986, with NBC carrying the next five editions (1988–1992). Since 1993, the game has been carried by ESPN or ESPN2 , except for four broadcasts on ABC (2011, 2012, 2017, and 2021). Cigar Bowl The Cigar Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game held in Tampa, Florida that featured teams from smaller college programs. There were nine editions of

798-515: The 2021 Duke's Mayo Classic with neither team scoring an offensive touchdown; Georgia went on to win the national title in 2021. The Bulldogs maintains a 43–18–4 lead in the series. Clemson's rivalry with Georgia Tech dates to 1898 with the first game being played in Augusta, Georgia . Notably, both programs share the privilege of having John Heisman as a former coach. It was played in Atlanta for 44 of

855-731: The American football team at Clemson University . The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In recent years, the Tigers have been ranked among the most elite college football programs in the United States. Formed in 1896, the program has an all-time record of 804–473–44, with

912-541: The Atlantic Coast Conference divided into two divisions of six teams each and began holding an ACC Championship Game at the conclusion of the regular football season to determine the conference champion. Clemson won its first outright ACC Atlantic Division championship in 2009. In 2012 and 2016, Clemson was co-champion of the Atlantic Division. On August 18, 2011, Georgia Tech vacated their 2009 ACC Championship Game victory over Clemson due to NCAA violations. The game

969-723: The Auburn-Alabama and Ohio State-Michigan rivalries, respectively. In 1951, the College Football Hall of Fame opened in South Bend, Indiana . Clemson has had 3 players and 4 former coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame. The NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), The Sporting News (TSN), and

1026-583: The College Football Playoff (CFP) and associated bowls have made their selections. As of 2023, the bowl's payout was $ 6.4 million for each participating team. Rankings are based on the AP Poll prior to the game being played. Source: † LSU's win in the 2014 edition was vacated in 2023 by the NCAA for a booster-related violation. The bowl has named an MVP since inception; in the inaugural game, there were co-MVPs. Source: Updated through

1083-568: The College Football Playoff , defeating Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game both times. † Other selectors for 1981 included Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, FACT, FB News, Football Research, Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, New York Times, Poling, Sagarin, and Sporting News †† Other selectors for 2016 include A&H, BR, CCR, CFRA, DuS, MCFR, SR, W ††† Other selectors for 2018 include A&H, BR, CCR, CFRA, CM, DuS, MCFR, SR, W Clemson won

1140-527: The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame decided to discontinue their association with the bowl and realign with a new game to be played in Tampa Stadium which would inherit the Hall of Fame Bowl name. Tampa's Hall of Fame Bowl did not initially have any conference tie-ins, so organizers often sought to arrange a match-up between a team from a southern school (usually

1197-512: The National Football League . Clemson has had eight members inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame : players Banks McFadden , Terry Kinard , Jeff Davis , and C. J. Spiller along with coaches John Heisman , Jess Neely , Frank Howard , and Danny Ford . Clemson is one of the founding members of the ACC and holds 21 ACC titles, the most of any member. Its 27 total conference titles, including six consecutive ACC titles from 2015 to 2020, are

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1254-642: The New Year's Six Bowls, including nine during the "Big Four" era. Clemson has 34 finishes in the final top 25 in the modern era and it finished in either the Associated Press final poll or the coaches' final poll a combined 59 times since 1939. The Tigers play their home games in Memorial Stadium on the university's Clemson, South Carolina campus. The stadium's nickname, "Death Valley" was coined in 1948 by Presbyterian College head coach Lonnie McMillan after his teams were routinely defeated there. Memorial Stadium

1311-521: The New Year's Six bowl games. Before 1993, the Hall of Fame Bowl aired on NBC . Upon signing agreements with the SEC and Big Ten in 1995, the bowl had the third pick of teams from each conference after the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) teams were placed. Since 2014, both the SEC and Big Ten have worked with a group of several bowl games, including this one, to place their bowl-eligible teams after

1368-745: The Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference ) and one from another region of the country to maximize both game attendance and potential visitors to the area. Tampa-based restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse became the game's title sponsor in April 1995, allowing the bowl to increase its payout to participants and sign agreements with the SEC and the Big Ten conferences, creating an annual cross-regional match-up that has continued ever since. In 1999,

1425-529: The Textile Bowl for the schools' similar missions in research and development for the textile industry in the Carolinas. The first meeting of the two schools occurred in 1899. Clemson has won 18 out of 23 contests since 2000. It is a particularly bitter rivalry amongst fans and students of both schools, even though it is not as competitive as the vitriol would suggest. Clemson holds a 60–30–1 series advantage through

1482-546: The 2023 season. NC State has won 2 out of the last 3 games in the rivalry. The Clemson–South Carolina rivalry , which dates back to 1896, is the largest annual sporting event in terms of ticket sales in the state of South Carolina. From 1896 to 1959, the Clemson–South Carolina game was played on the fairgrounds in Columbia, South Carolina and was referred to as "Big Thursday." Beginning in 1960, an alternating-site format

1539-664: The Atlantic Coast Conference's 50th Anniversary, a 120-member blue ribbon committee selected the Top 50 football players in ACC history. Clemson led all conference schools with the most players selected to the Golden Anniversary team. Each of Clemson's honorees are All-Americans and former NFL players. The nine selectees from Clemson are: Source ESPN Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACC temporarily added Notre Dame as

1596-595: The Cigar Bowl was part of a month-long "sports circus" in Tampa, with college basketball , golf , and tennis tournaments scheduled around the area along with horse racing and boxing . From its inception, the Cigar Bowl was sponsored by the local chapter of the Egypt Temple Shrine as a fundraising event. However, the primitive amenities and limited capacity of Phillips Field (20,000 with temporary bleachers ) along with rising costs made it increasingly ineffective as

1653-579: The FSU squad winning 57–0. As of 2022, Florida State leads the overall series 20–15. Before the dissolution of divisions in ACC Football as of 2023, the annual Clemson-Florida State game often decided which team would represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship. However, under the ACC's new scheduling system, Clemson and Florida State are designated as permanent rivals and will continue to compete for

1710-469: The January 2024 edition (38 games, 76 total appearances). ‡ LSU's win in the 2014 edition was vacated by the NCAA in 2023. Won (5): Arkansas , Clemson , Michigan State , Minnesota , Ole Miss Lost (5): Duke , Indiana , Kentucky , NC State , Purdue Updated through the January 2024 edition (38 games, 76 total appearances). ‡ LSU's vacated win following the 2013 season (played in January 2014)

1767-645: The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1900 and 1902 (tied 1903 and 1906) along with the Southern Conference title in 1940 and 1948. Their 21 ACC titles (19 outright, 2 tied) are the most ACC football championships. In 1965, South Carolina violated participation rules relating to two ineligible players and was required to forfeit wins against North Carolina State and Clemson. North Carolina State and Clemson were then declared co-champions. † Co-champions In 2005,

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1824-563: The Tigers in 1981 effectively settling the eventual national champion. No rivalry of that period was more competitive, as evidenced by the critical 11th-hour field goals kicked by Kevin Butler in 1984 and by David Treadwell more than once later in the decade. Despite blowouts in 1990 by the Tigers and in 1994 and 2003 by the Bulldogs, the series typically has remained very competitive with evenly matched games. Most recently, Georgia defeated Clemson 10–3 in

1881-650: The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) to determine if a player is regarded as a Consensus or Unanimous All-American. To be selected a Consensus All-American, a player must be chosen to the first team on at least three of the five official selectors as recognized by the NCAA. If a player is named an All-American by all five organizations, he is recognized as a Unanimous All-America. Clemson players have been honored 28 times as Consensus All-Americans, and 6 times as Unanimous All-Americas. † Unanimous All-American On July 23, 2002, in celebration of

1938-534: The bowl moved from Tampa Stadium to newly constructed Raymond James Stadium next door. Though it had signed a six-year extension in 2019, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse decided to discontinue its association with the game in March 2022 in a cost-cutting measure, ending the longest continuous title sponsorship in college bowl history and resulting in a temporary renaming of the game to Tampa Bay Bowl . In June 2022, Tampa-based cybersecurity company ReliaQuest

1995-486: The bowl, which was usually played on or around New Year's Day each season from 1946 through 1954 . It was played at Phillips Field , which was located across the Hillsborough River from downtown Tampa at the current site of Tampa Preparatory School and Julian Lane Riverfront Park. Its name was inspired by the local cigar industry , which had been the main driver of Tampa's growth from an isolated village to

2052-485: The first 47 match-ups, until Georgia Tech joined the ACC. When the Yellowjackets joined the ACC in 1978, the series moved to a more traditional home-and-home setup beginning with the 1983 game. When the ACC expanded to 12 teams and split into two divisions in 2005, Clemson and Georgia Tech were placed in opposite divisions but were designated permanent cross-divisional rivals so that the series may continue uninterrupted. In

2109-528: The first team since 1897 to finish a season 15–0. In 2022, Clemson defeated Syracuse 27–21, extending the Tigers' home winning streak to 38, a new ACC record. Clemson claims three national championships . In 1981 they finished as the only undefeated team with a 22–15 victory over the No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1982 Orange Bowl, and were named the national champions by all major four consensus selectors ( AP , Coaches , FWAA , and NFF ). In 2016 and 2018 they won

2166-525: The last 11 meetings. As of 2022 the Tigers lead the series 21–9–2. Between 1999 and 2007 the ACC Atlantic Division matchup between Clemson and Florida State was referred to as the "Bowden Bowl" to reflect the father-son head coach matchup between Bobby Bowden (Father, FSU) and Tommy Bowden (Son, Clemson). Their first meeting, in 1999, was the first time in Division I-A history that a father and

2223-697: The last Bowden Bowl game as Tommy resigned as head coach in October 2008. No. 3 Clemson pulled off a thriller in Tallahassee in 2016, 37–34, over the No. 12-ranked Seminoles. In 2018, No. 2 Clemson defeated Florida State in Tallahassee 59–10, which tied the Seminoles' worst loss margin in history. This marked a 2nd time the Tigers have beaten the Seminoles by more than 17-points. Clemson did it again in 2019, beating FSU 45–14. FSU has defeated Clemson by more than 17-points nine times. The most lopsided contest occurred in 1993, with

2280-419: The leather helmet era. The club plans to make this an annual presentation. Clemson first met Boston College on the football field in the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic , the first ever bowl game for the Tigers and Eagles. Over the next 43 years, the teams met a total of 14 times. In 2005, Boston College joined the ACC and the Atlantic Division. Since then, the game has been played on an annual basis with Clemson winning

2337-489: The line. Alabama won by a score of 24–6 following two costly Clemson interceptions in the second half. Their most recent meeting was in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship . This time, Clemson dismantled the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide in a 44–16 rout to win its third national title. Alabama leads the series 14–5 through the 2023 season. These old rivals (which are often called sister schools) first played in 1899, but until 2010, had not faced each other in

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2394-485: The most of any ACC school. Clemson's most recent ACC title came in 2022, against North Carolina. Clemson's streak of eleven consecutive 10-win seasons from 2011-2022 ranked second in active streaks behind the Alabama Crimson Tide , coming to an end after Clemson's 2023 season where they finished with a 9-4 record. Among its eight undefeated regular seasons, Clemson has been crowned national champion 3 times. Clemson

2451-475: The nation's Top 25 teams in 1990. Clemson holds a 27–23 record in bowl games through the 2022 season. This is a list of Clemson's 16 most recent bowl games. The two southern schools have long, decorated histories in the sport of college football. They first met on the football field on November 29, 1900. Clemson won the inaugural matchup by a score of 35–0. The Crimson Tide and Tigers met again in 1904 and 1905, with Clemson winning both games. Beginning with

2508-404: The new system without divisions, they remain as such. The two schools are 127 miles apart and connected to each other by Interstate 85 . This distance is slightly closer than that between Clemson and traditional rival South Carolina (137 miles). Georgia Tech leads the series 50–35–2 with Clemson winning the last 8 in a row. The yearly conference and divisional match-up with NC State is known as

2565-400: The next meeting between the two squads in 1909, Alabama won the next thirteen matchups against Clemson. The Tide posted the biggest margin of victory in the rivalry in 1931, beating the Tigers by a margin of 74–7. In the first seven games of Alabama's 13-game streak, Clemson only score seven total points and was shut out in six of the seven games. After a 56–0 shutout Alabama victory in 1975,

2622-508: The regular season since 1971. Along with snapping a 14-game losing streak to the Tigers of the Plains, Clemson also snapped Auburn's 17-game winning streak coming off of the 2009–2011 seasons after a home-and-home series in the 2010–11 seasons. The Georgia Dome then hosted the Auburn–Clemson rivalry the following year in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game . Clemson defeated Auburn 26–19 riding on

2679-580: The squads didn't meet again until 2008, when they squared off on opening weekend in Atlanta , Georgia. The Tide emerged victorious with a 34–10 victory. The last four matchups between the squads have had national championship implications and have greatly re-intensified the rivalry. The teams squared off in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship in Glendale, Arizona , resulting in Alabama emerging with

2736-427: The streak came to an end in 2023, it was the 2nd longest active streak behind Alabama with 16. † AP Poll began selecting the nation's Top 20 teams in 1936. Only the Top 10 teams were recognized from 1962 to 1967. The AP Poll expanded back to the Top 20 teams in 1968. In 1989, it began recognizing the Top 25 teams. ‡ UPI/Coaches Poll began selecting its Top 20 teams on a weekly basis in 1950 before expanding to

2793-451: The team to a 19–3–2 record. Heisman’s coaching set a precedent for excellence and innovation. During the mid-20th century, the program experienced substantial growth under Frank Howard , who coached from 1940 to 1969. Howard's tenure saw Clemson win two Southern Conference championships and six ACC championships. Known for his colorful personality and imaginative storytelling, Howard integrated various offensive formations. His legacy includes

2850-468: The third seed Ohio State on December 31, 2016, in the 2016 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl . The Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the national championship games in both 2017 and 2019. Clemson has a 6–4 record in playoff games through the 2019 season. Clemson has ended their football season ranked 38 times in either the AP or Coaches Poll. Clemson had 12 consecutive 10-win seasons from 2011 to 2022. Before

2907-536: The three years of the Herschel Walker era came in Death Valley during Danny Ford 's 1981 national championship run. During the two programs' simultaneous glory days of the early 1980s, no rivalry in all of college football was more important at the national level. The Bulldogs and Tigers played each other every season from 1973 to 1987, with Scott Woerner's dramatic returns in 1980 and the nine turnovers forced by

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2964-457: The title every year. Because of the new ACC scheduling system, there is a chance these rivals could face each other a second time in the ACC Championship. The Bulldogs and the Tigers have played each other 64 times beginning in 1897, with the 64th meeting played in 2014. Clemson's only regular-season losses of the 1978, 1982, and 1991 campaigns all came at the hands of Georgia "between the hedges", whereas Georgia's only regular-season setback during

3021-411: The tradition of rubbing "Howard's Rock" before home games and the naming of the playing field at Memorial Stadium as "Frank Howard Field" in 1974. The late 20th century and early 21st century saw the football program navigate through challenges and successes under multiple head coaches. Danny Ford led the Tigers to their first national championship in 1981 , achieving an undefeated season. Ford's era

3078-435: Was announced as the new title sponsor. The ReliaQuest Bowl following the 2024 season was scheduled for December 31, 2024, making it the first edition of the bowl since its inaugural edition (played as the Hall of Fame Bowl) to be scheduled in December, and the first edition scheduled for New Year's Eve, a change spurred by the expanded College Football Playoff . The bowl is played on New Year's Day unless January 1 falls on

3135-399: Was implemented using both teams' home stadiums. The annual game has since been designated "The Palmetto Bowl." The last eight contests between the programs have been nationally televised (4 on ESPN, 4 on ESPN2). Clemson holds a commanding 73–43-4 lead in the series through the 2022 season. It is often considered one of the most heated rivalries in all of college football, on a similar level to

3192-480: Was marked by NCAA sanctions due to recruiting violations, which impacted the program's reputation and success. Ken Hatfield , Ford’s successor, focused on cleaning up the program's image but faced criticism from fans, leading to his resignation. Subsequent coaches, including Tommy West , struggled to achieve consistent success until the hiring of Tommy Bowden in 1999, who maintained bowl eligibility every season, but failed to secure an ACC championship. The modern era

3249-557: Was named poll-era national champion and finished with its third perfect season with a win over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl . Clemson was the National Championship Finalist Runner-up with a 14–1 record in 2015 before winning the National Title over No. 1 Alabama in college football's first National Championship rematch in 2016, and again in 2018. The Tigers have 46 bowl appearances, 20 of which are among

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