It's official: Clemson announces home-and-home series with LSU in 2025, 2026
It’s official.
Clemson Athletic Director Dan Radakovich mentioned at the beginning of August camp he was trying to finalize Clemson’s non-conference schedule for the decade of the 2020s in the coming weeks.
The rumors of a possible home-and-home series between Clemson and LSU had been brewing for what feels like almost an entire summer. The rumors were true.
On Wednesday morning, Clemson University announced the Tigers from LSU and Clemson will battle in a home-and-home series beginning in 2025.
Clemson will open its 2025 season at home against LSU in Death Valley on Aug. 30, followed by a meeting with Troy who was also added to the non-conference slate. The Tigers from the upstate will then travel to, you guessed it, the Death Valley in Baton Rouge, La., on Sept. 5, 2026. All game times will be announced at a later date.
Radakovich, who used to work at LSU, has always tried to keep an SEC team in the mix every year when it comes to non-conference scheduling. Aside from in-state rival South Carolina, Clemson will have played another SEC opponent (or Notre Dame) every year from 2010-2019.
The matchup is one the two fanbases have been waiting on for quite some time. Ever since the two teams faced in the classic 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl where Clemson emerged victorious 25-24 after a Chandler Catanzaro 37-yard field goal as time expired.
This will be the first time Clemson and LSU will meet in the regular season. All three of the previous matchups came in bowl games after the 1958 (Sugar Bowl), 1996 (Peach Bowl) and 2012 (Chick-Fil-A Bowl) seasons.
“The series against LSU continues the philosophy we have had at Clemson for many years of looking to add another Power 5 opponent to our schedule outside of our annual rivalry game with the University of South Carolina,” Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said in the release. “We are excited about playing a school with LSU’s rich football tradition. We know our fans will enjoy visiting Baton Rouge, and we know they will provide our renowned Clemson hospitality to the fans from LSU.”
The small rivalry will be a fun trip for fans on both sides, and hopefully, it won’t be the last time these two teams meet up. It’ll be a battle between Tigers and a fight for bragging rights between the two stadiums nicknamed “Death Valley.”
Of course, Clemson Football’s twitter account (@ClemsonFB) has already gotten in on the fun.
“In 2025, LSU travels to Death Valley, and, in 2026, Clemson plays in Baton Rouge!” the tweet read.