Dabo Swinney didn’t dodge the question when asked on SportsCenter at ACC Media Days about the latest jab from LSU head coach Brian Kelly. With Clemson and LSU set to square off to begin the 2025 season, the long-running debate over which school owns the title of “Death Valley” has once again taken center stage.
“Well, I think, first of all, both programs are for real. These are two great programs. We’ve met a couple times over the years. Great respect for LSU,” Swinney said. “But I think if you just Google Coach McMillian, who was the head coach at PC — you can go and do that research on your own. But all that matters is how we handle our business in Clemson, South Carolina, on August 30th. So, that’s our focus. But that stuff is historical facts, so I’ll let you do the research on that. You can report back. I’ll be tuned in for your report. You have a homework assignment.”
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Swinney was referring to Lonnie McMillian, the former head coach at Presbyterian College, who famously dubbed Clemson’s Memorial Stadium “Death Valley” after a 76-0 loss to the Tigers in 1945. Each time his team made the trip to Clemson, McMillian would tell reporters, “I’m taking my boys to Death Valley.” The nickname stuck, and the media ran with it.
By the mid-1940s, Clemson had fully adopted the label. Meanwhile, LSU didn’t begin calling Tiger Stadium “Death Valley” until 1959, and the name didn’t really gain national recognition until several decades later.
Clemson and Presbyterian opened every season from 1930 to 1957, giving McMillian plenty of opportunities to use the now-famous phrase. Over time, it became a staple of Clemson football tradition.
Now, with both programs ranked among the sport’s elite, the debate over which Death Valley is the “real” one has added fuel ahead of their highly anticipated matchup.
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That answer might become a little clearer on August 30, when LSU makes the trip to Memorial Stadium in Clemson to open the 2025 college football season.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Dabo Swinney on who has the real Death Valley between Clemson, LSU
