Is there any coach in college football more excited about fans returning to the game than Dabo Swinney?
There answer is probably no.
On Monday, Swinney was handing out Coke Floats and taking selfies with students on campus, as temperatures hit around 90 degrees in Clemson. Swinney was grinning from ear to ear in the August sun, but with the start of the 2021 season just 12 days away, he would not have had it any other way.
You can bet Swinney will be smiling on Sept. 4, when the third-ranked Tigers hit the field at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte to take on No. 5 Georgia in the Duke’s Mayo Classic. The game is expected to be a sellout, with more 75,000 fans in attendance.
Last year, the Tigers played six home games in front 18,000 at Death Valley and a couple of times—at Wake Forest and at Virginia Tech—in front of no fans at all. The ACC Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl barely had any fans in attendance, as well, due to the pandemic.
“I am super excited about (seeing) our fans,” Swinney said. “I think everybody that was a part of last year, will tell you that was the number one thing that we missed was the passion of the fans.”
Do not get Swinney wrong, his teams play with a lot of passion, but he also knows fans play a huge part in why college football is so popular. The tailgating, wearing their school’s team colors, the cheering, the barking, you name it, it all makes college football so unique and special to players, coaches and anyone who is a part of the game.
“We have a lot of passion to play the game, but the passion of fans is an awesome part of college football. So, we are definitely looking forward to that,” Swinney said.
Coke float anyone? 😃 pic.twitter.com/JCmO82wPLr
— Clemson Athletics (@ClemsonTigers) August 23, 2021
Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!