The Original Death Valley not listed near the top is wrong
By: will-vandervort May 19, 2021

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, when giving an opinion, one should be respectful of others and the subject they are speaking about.

So when a list of the loudest stadiums in college football does not include Memorial Stadium in Clemson–a.k.a. Death Valley–in its top 10, should we consider their ranking with any real merit?

I don’t think so.

Big Game Sooner, which claims to be a ranking expert, list the Original Death Valley No. 12 in their loudest stadiums in college football. Maybe I am giving this ranking expert too much credit?

Perhaps.

However, if you are a true fan, play, coach or cover college football, you have to give Clemson the respect it deserves.

Death Valley is one of the loudest venues in all of college football. And don’t just take it from me, take it from all the media personalities, players and coaches who have been to Clemson and played and covered games there.

It’s played in a real valley. There is literally nowhere for the sound to go but down. The stadium is engineered for the sound to go down. Go sit in the north or south upper decks and you will understand what I mean.

Ask all the opposing offensive linemen who come into Death Valley that jump early because they can’t hear the snap count. Ask all the quarterbacks who get called for delay of game penalties because they use the entire play clock trying to bark out the signals to their teammates, who can’t hear them.

Ask the Louisville Cardinals if Death Valley is not one of the loudest stadiums in the country. They were called for several procedure penalties in the 2016 game, including a crucial one on fourth down at the Clemson seven-yard line in the final 45 seconds. The end result caused them to fall short of the first down, sealing the win for the Tigers.

Several times through the course of its 80 years, Death Valley has gotten so loud, it has registered as small earthquakes.

Also, I question whether this “expert” has ever been to Death Valley in Clemson. If they had, there is no way they would have Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia or Lane Stadium in Blacksburg ranked ahead of Clemson.

I can say this, because I have been to both of those stadiums on multiple occasions, and they are not even close to Death Valley in terms of noise level and atmosphere.

If Clemson is not ranked near the top or at least in your top 10 of loudest college football stadiums, then no one is going to respect your ranking. That is just not giving college football any credit.

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