The uniqueness of college football programs comes from their traditions. Be it Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner or the Buffs’ Ralphie’s Run, every football program has its share of traditions that bind the fans together. For Clemson, ‘Gathering at the Paw’ holds the same value. While its official formalization happened around two decades back, the tradition dates back to the 1940s, when Clemson was probably not as widely recognized as it is today.
Head coach Frank Howard, who led the Tigers from 1940-1969, took it upon himself to bring the fans closer to players. To foster a sense of “community and connection,” with a thin flock of fans mingling with the team. But with time, it became a sea of orange and regalia, the same sea that sometimes has landed Clemson in trouble. Of course, in tense, charged games, when the home team secures a close one, the idea of fans storming the field as the clock hits 0:00, with the opposing team still on the field, does sound dangerous.
Take, for example, the South Carolina game last year, which Clemson unfortunately lost 14-17. It was a loss no one had expected. It led to the storming of the field by the Gamecocks supporters. However, at the same time, following their tradition, the Clemson fans also gathered on the field. The field quickly became jam-packed. With South Carolina players attempting to plant their flag, it led to a situation that was called “death in the middle” by Dabo Swinney himself, as an altercation ensued. Even Shane Beamer called the situation “unsafe.”
“I was lucky to get out alive. It was dangerous. It was scary, and it was dangerous. We’ve gotta make sure that doesn’t happen anymore,” recalled Swinney in a post-game Zoom call. Incidents like these and several unpleasant basketball court stormings (involving Duke and UNC) featuring ACC teams have led the conference to take action.
The ACC is coming down hard on field stormings. Jim Phillips, the ACC commissioner, in his address to the media on July 22, announced a new “sportsmanship” policy. Aim? Safety of teams, fans, and game officials. Under the new policy, the conference schools would be required to create a security plan and get it approved by a third-party evaluator. Moreover, the ACC has also proposed fines up to $200,000 for the violators. What happens to Clemson’s ‘Gathering at the Paw’ tradition?
However, Clemson and Dabo Swinney have a plan to continue their tradition while following the ACC safeguards. “We’re used to field stormings. It’s at home every game. If we lose on the road, we get it there too. I didn’t really know about it until last week. We were in our program meetings, and Graham kind of went over it,” said Dabo Swinney in his July 24 remarks at the ACC media event.
The Tigers’ head coach discussed the ACC plan about field stormings. “I think they got a good plan in place. Where hopefully, can achieve the objectives, being able to get the team off the field, and then still be able to gather the paw and have the fans come on and hold the alma mater until we do that. I think they got a good plan in place,” he said.
Swinney acknowledged that there was an urgent need to address the field storming issue. But also said that Clemson “had a plan” through which the visitors can get off the field safely, thus enabling Clemson fans to access the stadium to follow their usual tradition. For now, it looks like the Tigers are going to continue the tradition. The program also confirmed the same in a separate statement.
Clemson reps bat for continuing the ‘gathering at the paw’ tradition despite ACC regulations
As per ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, schools are now required to submit full security details. Moreover, the ACC also laid out a plan for “protecting” visiting teams from home fans. In case of any violations, the fine is $50,000 for the first offense, $100,000 for the second, and $200,000 for the third offense. Phillips called the measures “an important step for the league.” As for Clemson, it supports the ACC’s new policy, but with a catch.
“Clemson is in the process of finalizing our updated protocol in accordance with this policy. Our approach acknowledges the significance of Gathering at the Paw on Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, and we intend to allow for its continuation once visiting teams and personnel have safely exited the field. We ask our fans for their cooperation in this matter beginning this fall,” said a Clemson spokesperson to The State. The verdict?
ACC’s new security policies do not necessarily ban storming on the field, which is still considered a long-standing tradition of college football. What it does is provide a framework within which programs must function, which will ensure the safety of both fans and the people involved in the game. As for Clemson’s long-standing ‘gathering at the paw’ tradition, it’s probably going nowhere, although we can see many more strict arrangements in it now.
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