Oct. 31, 2006
With upcoming football games at home against Maryland, N.C. State and South Carolina, once again it provides an opportunity to stress our appreciation to our fans, the community and the university in their support of Solid Orange.
I still talk to people from other parts of the country that witnessed the Georgia Tech game and they compliment our people and our university on the environment and atmosphere at the stadium. One of the things they always talk about is the sea of orange.
As I have stated before, the brightness of orange and how striking it is speaks to the unity that we have with our people. Whether our kids wear purple, orange or white uniforms, they love to see that sea of orange.
That says a tremendous amount to our prospects that will be visiting with us over the next few weeks as well as the sense of spirit created on campus. We need to continue to bolster Solid Orange every chance we get.
We also understand that Solid Orange is more than just wearing a color. It is about sportsmanship. It is about class. It is about dignity. It is about respect for one another and our opponents.
Even people that come in who do not get to Clemson very often are left with a lasting impression.
For example, to quote an excerpt from a letter from a Georgia Tech fan that actually went to school at the University of Texas, who now lives in Atlanta and follows Georgia Tech:
…I have been on many, many road trips out of Austin (TX) for games, but only two for Georgia Tech — both to Clemson. I walked away extremely impressed each time. When we parked our car Saturday, a gentleman decked out in Clemson gear immediately walked over, introduced himself and his wife and asked if he could do anything for us.
He seemed genuinely glad to see us. Upon entering the stadium, I had a very similar experience. Coupled with those experiences and the overall clean enthusiasm in the stadium, you had the makings of an enjoyable evening.
I don’t know if Clemson has made a conscious effort to makes its visitors feel welcome, but I certainly have in my two visits. Although I walked away upset …, I walked away glad to be a part of such a loud, well-behaved group of ladies and gentlemen.
This is not atypical of the messages and letters that we have received over the last couple of years.
As we head into the home stretch, we certainly want to win. We want to be loud. We want to have a tough environment to play in, but we want to continue to build upon our sportsmanship efforts and win with class and dignity.
In Solid Orange, Terry Don Phillips Athletic Director
December 5, 2024
