The real Death Valley

coachbleu · 2025-07-17T16:28:39+00:00

Even though I’m an LSU fan, Clemson’s history dates back further. Death Valley History Clemson's Memorial Stadium, commonly known as "Death Valley," has a rich history tied to its nickname. The name originated in 1948 when Presbyterian College coach Lonnie McMillian referred to the stadium as "Death Valley" after his team's struggles there. The nickname gained traction and was further solidified when Clemson head coach Frank Howard received a rock from the real Death Valley in California, which is now known as Howard's Rock and is touched by Clemson players before each home game.The stadium, built in 1942, has been a dominant force in college football, with the Tigers winning 324 home games since its construction and maintaining the longest active home winning streak in college football. In the 50’s, Tiger Stadium was often called “deaf” valley. When LSU beat Clemson for the 1958 National Championship, they claimed the name “Death Valley” in a troll-type move, and called the stadium that ever since. Rubbing Howard’s Rock and running down the hill are both awesome college football traditions. However, Zach will tell you that LSU’s Tiger Stadium is where opponents’ dreams go to die.