Clemson Launches Campaign Celebrating 50th Year of Varsity Women’s Athletics
CLEMSON, S.C. - The Clemson Athletic Department launched its celebratory campaign signaling the beginning of the 50th year of varsity women’s athletics on July 18, 2024. The campaign, centered around the phrase ‘She will Triumph,’ celebrates the rich history of the people and events that have made Clemson Athletics what it is today while signifying the continued growth and competitive excellence of the future of women’s athletics.
Women’s athletics at Clemson have grown to more than 250 student-athletes across 12 varsity sports and saw more than 150,000 fans in attendance at its home competitions in 2023-24. The 2024-25 athletic year marks the 50th competitive season for women’s basketball and women’s tennis.
Over the past 49 years, Clemson’s Athletic Department has been defined by its growth and support of women’s athletics, including the addition of four varsity women’s sports within the past 12 years. Clemson’s women’s programs have accounted for 23 team ACC Championships, 18 individual NCAA Champions, 10 Olympic Medals, and countless individuals with incredible accomplishments inside and outside of athletics.
From leadership positions at major companies, heads of athletic departments, media personalities, coaches, doctors, professors, professional athletes, and all those in between, varsity athletics has been a major facilitator to thousands of positive outcomes for those that have triumphed in every aspect.
Fans will notice several tentpole celebrations at different points in the year, including:
- Development of a 50th-year logo.
- Consistent promotion of the Hear Her Roar Campaign, which directly supports and helps fund women’s athletics. Learn more at IPTAY.com/HearHerRoar.
- In-venue celebrations, guests and recognitions across athletics.
- Original video docuseries focused on the growth of women’s athletics.
- Social media campaign and recognitions.
- Deep collaboration with ClemsonWorld on special features throughout 2024-25.
- Original apparel line.
- Launching of a new podcast focusing on issues and opportunities within women’s athletics.
- Continued promotion and engagement of Beyond the Paw podcast and writing opportunities.
- Featured placement throughout Orange: The Experience.
- Enhanced coverage of the POWER Women’s Leadership Academy, which will hold its third POWER Summit on July 20.
She will Triumph:
Looking to build upon the rich history of Clemson Athletics, ‘She Will Triumph’ became the springboard to celebrate the previous 50 years and all the achievements that have been accomplished during that span while guiding the next 50 years of excellence. In conjunction with the 50-year logo, Clemson Athletics will use ‘She will Triumph’ as a motto and symbol of the bond that every member of Clemson women’s athletics has shared throughout history and will continue to share with future generations. Originating from the alma mater chorus as “Dear Old Clemson, we will triumph And with all our might That the Tiger’s roar may echo O’er the mountain height,” “She will Triumph” guides the foundation of empowerment and victory for every stride and forward progress Clemson continues to make towards success. The 50th year is more than just a milestone, it’s a movement.
A Brief History of Women’s Athletics at Clemson:
When Hall-of-Fame Athletic Director Bill McClellan took over the athletic department in 1971, Clemson had no women’s varsity athletics teams. Just four years later (and three years after the passing of Title IX), McClellan announced in September of 1975 the elevation of basketball, fencing, swimming and tennis as the first women’s varsity sports. By 1977, Clemson had also added volleyball and field hockey, enhancing facilities and infrastructure quickly. Six of the first eight programs had a final top 20 ranking within their first five years of existence.
The first varsity women’s athletics competition was a women’s swimming tri-meet against Brenau and Appalachian State on Nov. 11, 1975. Mary K. King was the first woman to earn a head coach title at Clemson, as she led both the tennis and basketball programs in their first seasons (1975-76). Women’s tennis finished its first season 10-2, and women’s basketball finished with a 13-11 mark that season. Fencing finished its inaugural season 2-6 overall, and swimming was 6-5. Over the next two decades, Clemson would add cross country, track and field and diving. Soccer began competition in 1994, Rowing in 1999, Golf in 2013, Softball in 2020, Lacrosse in 2023 and Gymnastics in 2024.
Clemson’s first individual national champion was Tina Krebs, who in 1983 won the indoor 1000-meter race. She would add NCAA titles in 1985 (indoor 1500m) and 1986 (indoor mile). Overall, Clemson has 18 individual national championship performances, (13 in Track & Field, four in Swimming, and one in Rowing), 23 ACC team championships, and ten Olympic medalists.
Each year, more than 275 women suit up in the orange and purple. Thousands of women’s athletes have called Clemson home and participated in a total of 16 sports throughout the years. In addition to the student-athletes, Clemson presently has women in head coach roles for seven sports – men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, golf, rowing, lacrosse and gymnastics.
In the 2023-24 season, women’s golf and women’s soccer had their best seasons ever, advancing to NCAA quarterfinals or better. Gymnastics made the NCAA Championships in its inaugural season and lacrosse ranked third nationally in attendance. With a recent infusion of more than $50 million in facility upgrades, including rowing, tennis, softball, lacrosse, gymnastics, volleyball and track and field, Clemson is poised for long-term success.
Did you know?
- Clemson competed in its first intercollegiate varsity women’s athletic event on Nov. 11, 1975, as the Swimming team held a tri-meet against Brenau and Appalachian State.
- Barbara Kennedy-Dixon scored the first points in the first NCAA women’s basketball tournament, a two-point field goal against Penn State in 1982. Kennedy remains as the ACC’s leading scorer and rebounder more than 40 years later.
- Clemson women’s sports have claimed 23 ACC regular-season or tournament team championships.
- Sixty-eight women are enshrined in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and six are in the Ring of Honor
- Former Clemson women’s athletes have earned ten Olympic medals.
- Clemson Softball has sold out every one of its home games since beginning in the 2020 season, a streak of 131 games (going 107-24) entering the 2025 season.
- Clemson’s three most recently added sports - Softball (7th), Lacrosse (6th) and Gymnastics (8th) - each ranked in the top 10 nationally in attendance per home date in 2023-24.
- Most recently in 2020, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan earned gold with Canada, and Patricia Mamona earned silver in the triple jump for Portugal.
- Valerie Cagle (2023) and Brianna Rollins McNeal (2013) stand as Clemson’s two National Players of the Year in women’s sports. In 2024, Cagle became the first Clemson woman to be taken first overall in a professional draft.
- Gymnastics ranked 8th nationally in attendance, drawing 42,000 fans in its inaugural season. The Tigers’ 196.325 in their first meet was the highest ever recorded by an inaugural team in their first meet.
