Clemson Football is a ‘Blue Blood’ Program, Proof is in the Numbers
By: Will Vandervort January 31, 2025

For those that think Clemson Football is not an all-time great program in college football, then you have not been paying attention.

You’re also not alone.

I bet if you ask anyone on ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC or other national media types who are the most consistent winners in college football since the sport began, I bet you no one would say Clemson.

And that would be a mistake.

Recently, All CFB on Instagram listed the most wins all-time in major college football in six different time periods – 1869-present (155 years), 1925-present (100 years), 1975-present (50 years), 2000-present (25 years), 2015-present (10 years) and 2020-present (5 years).

 

Clemson is one of six teams ranked in the top 15 in all six different periods listed by All CFB. The other five are Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, Penn State and Georgia. That is pretty elite company Clemson is keeping with.

Teams not on this list include Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, USC, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Miami, Florida and Florida State.

What does this mean?

It means Clemson is one of the six most consistent programs in the history of major college football. Not bad for a little Southern School, right?

It also means, in my opinion, Clemson can call itself a “Blue Blood” program.

Clemson Football is ranked 13th all-time in total wins with 808. It’s won three national championships over the years. It has won 28 conference championships, won 27 bowl/playoff games and played in 51 bowl/playoff games.

Clemson has Hall of Fame coaches such John Heisman, Jess Neely, Frank Howard, Danny Ford and one day Dabo Swinney.

Clemson has had Heisman Trophy Finalist and All-Americans such as Banks McFadden, Steve Fuller, C.J. Spiller, Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Fred Cone, Levon Kirkland, Bennie Cunningham, Terry Kinard, Dwayne Allen, William and Michael Dean Perry, Christian Wilkins and the list can go on and on.

Then of course there are Clemson’s traditions, such as the First Friday Parade, Homecoming Floats, the Tiger Paw, $2 Bills, Esso Club, the Tombstones, Howard’s Rock and Running Down the Hill. These are all things that make Clemson unique and special, as well as being a major university in the middle of a town of just 14,000 people.

Clemson is what makes college football what it is, which has helped it be one of the more consistent programs in all of college football over the years. If you do not believe me, just look at the numbers, they do not lie.