CLEMSON – Clemson’s annual Orange & White Spring Game had everything Tiger fans are used to seeing.

It gave fans a glimpse of the upcoming team, including the talents of new transfer wide receiver Tristan Smith blazing down the sideline for a touchdown and freshman quarterback Chris Denson dropping in passes.

It showcased players running down the hill and rubbing Howard’s Rock while Clemson’s band blasted Tiger Rag throughout Memorial Stadium under 80-degree sunny weather. 

It also had a hype video, crafted by Clemson’s video team, beforehand that gave defensive end T.J. Parker “the chills.”

But this year’s Orange & White Game also showcased something that no Clemson football game attendees have ever witnessed. 

During Saturday’s Spring Game, Memorial Stadium sold alcohol– five kinds of beer and Black Cherry White Claws, to be specific.

Clemson University announced last Tuesday it will begin serving alcohol at sporting events this spring, at events including baseball and softball games. To kick off the new policy, Memorial Stadium opened up six alcohol stands in the main home concourse for the Spring Game.

Senior Associate Athletic Director of Communications Jeff Kallin believes that the Orange & White Game was the perfect time to roll in the new policy.

“It has been kind of in discussion for awhile, and one of the opportunities that you have is that you get some scale but it’s not your full 81,000,” Kallin told The Clemson Insider. “It’s a good sample size and learning experience to see what works, what doesn’t work… Also for us, some of it is, ‘Hey you have to start somewhere, at some point.’ I think this one, I think seeing how it starts to go at softball and baseball, which is going to start rolling out this week, we’re treating it all as a lot of a learning experience right now.” 

Kallin also shared that because there is no alcohol sponsorship in place at this time, the beverage choices are currently handled by Aramark, Clemson’s concessions provider. Aramark is also the sponsor for hundreds of other entertainment venues that serve alcohol, so they have served as a blueprint thus far in Clemson’s adoption.

Though some Clemson fans have safety concerns about fans consuming alcohol at Memorial, Doug Kingsmore, and McWhorter Stadiums, the response that Kallin has received, and what was observed at Death Valley today, was overwhelmingly positive.

As fans entered the main concourse, the layout was the same, except for the implementation of alcohol stands posted beside other concession staples like shaved ice carts and six-foot-tall popcorn machines.

Across from the pretzel, popcorn, and soft drink stand and perpendicular to the 50-yard line, one fan shared that he had no problems with alcohol being sold while he purchased a $9 tallboy.

He shared that in the 1980s and 1990s, he attended several concerts at Memorial Stadium (Clemson hosted six major concerts including Pink Floyd, Elton John, and Billy Joel from 1989-1999) where alcohol was served in tents across the border of the venue. For this fan, it was time for this experience to extend to sporting events.

Ella Harris, another lifelong Clemson fan, shared she was excited that alcohol would be implemented because she could enjoy a drink in the Stadium instead of leaving at halftime to visit her tailgate. Upon hearing that the revenue would go towards funding athletes, she told her father, “I am actually going to fund a scholarship through this,” with a laugh.

While several fans have also expressed their concerns for safety in and around the stadium with alcohol sales, Kallin says Clemson’s staff is working to maintain a family-friendly environment.

“I think that the response so far has been pretty overwhelmingly positive from what we’ve seen but, certainly we’ve been attuned to what some of the concerns are, trying to address those from a safety protocol standpoint,” he said.  “We’ve really had the benefit of learning from a lot of different places that have done this so far… so being able to listen and come up with things that we think are going to be able to help provide, not only, a safe and family-friendly environment that we always try to do, but also making sure that we’re evolving and coming up with concessions offerings that are pretty widely accepted and common nowadays.” 

Some of the safety measures that Clemson Athletics have taken are checking and double checking IDs, allowing only horizontal identification, and maintaining strong police security. Fans will still be allowed to leave and re-enter during halftime.

Above all, Clemson’s goal is to be responsible with their alcohol sales and expand concessions offerings to what the national expectation is now. Until this point, Clemson was only one of three Power 4 schools that did not offer alcohol.

Whether fans are excited to partake in Doug Kingsmore’s Beer Garden wedged between the stands and  the opponent’s bullpen, consume a White Claw while watching Clemson Football’s season-opener against LSU, or simply abstain from drinking, Clemson Athletics is ready to offer attendees their own choice to consume alcohol.

Who knows, maybe you could even fund your favorite athlete’s scholarship.