The following appears in Issue 6 of ORANGE: The Experience Magazine, an exclusive member benefit of IPTAY.
CLEMSON, S.C. – The 2024-25 athletic year marks the 50th competitive season of varsity women’s athletics at Clemson, dating to the introduction of basketball, tennis, swimming and fencing in 1975 by then-Athletic Director Bill McLellan. The growth and success of Clemson University’s women’s athletics are symbolized by the fiftieth-anniversary crest. Several symbols have been embedded to highlight and celebrate the university’s athletic achievements in women’s sports.
Ten Olympic medalists, sixteen varsity sports, and eighteen NCAA championships are just a few of the accomplishments, not to mention countless athletes who have gone on to incredible careers inside and outside of athletics, and the many support staff and coaches who made this possible. With the recent additions of women’s gymnastics and lacrosse, the program has proven women’s athletics continues to build momentum. Women’s sports have significantly contributed to Clemson’s growing nationwide popularity and school spirit.
The crest includes six key symbols:
Four Stars: The four stars on the crest represent each of the original Clemson women’s varsity sports teams. In the 1975-76 seasons, Clemson University first embarked on women’s sports by adding women’s tennis, basketball, fencing, and swimming to the school. The 2024-2025 season will be Clemson’s 50th season in women’s tennis and basketball. These four sports led the way for female athletes at Clemson University, laying the groundwork for what Clemson Women’s Athletics has become. As of 2024, Clemson Athletics presently fully funds 12 women’s varsity sports.
The Shape: The shape and design of the anniversary crest are derived from one of Clemson University’s most loved traditions: Clemson class rings. The shape represents the bond female athletes formed throughout their years at Clemson University together. The inspiration taken from the class ring also symbolizes Clemson’s women’s athletic commitment to academic success. At Clemson University, the athletic department supports young women making strides on the field and in the classroom. In women’s sports at Clemson University, athletes are supported in their academic ambitions; female athletes at Clemson win in their sport and their educational lives.
Ten Olympic Medals: Clemson’s women’s sports are not just successful on a collegiate level; Clemson’s female athletes have made strides on the world stage, with ten of the university’s female athletes winning Olympic Medals. The first Olympic win for women’s athletics was in 1984 when Michelle Richardson placed silver in swimming. Clemson University has had four female athletes win Olympic gold medals in their respective sports.
Five Stripes: The five stripes circling the center “50” on the anniversary crest are a tribute to Clemson’s women’s basketball team’s original jersey design, worn in the 1975-76 season. The five stripes also represent another aspect of Clemson’s Women’s Athletics: a stripe for each decade of women’s sports at Clemson University.
50 Gems: Each season, each year, each women’s player roster has contributed to the program’s success. Each team of women lays a foundation for the next. The fifty gems symbolize all the years of work, growth, and success Clemson women’s athletics has shown. Each year of women’s sports has contributed to the university’s success, and the program will continue to grow and achieve.
18 NCAA Championships: In the past fifty years, women’s athletics at Clemson has proven its excellence in eighteen NCAA championship wins. Clemson University’s first women’s NCAA championship title was won by Tina Krebs in 1983 in the Track and Field 1,000-meter race. Women’s sports at Clemson are still in search of team national championship, but with recent runs to the College Cup, NCAA Super Regionals, and NCAA Tournaments, it’s only a matter of time.
An aspect that cannot be counted, a priceless achievement of Clemson’s women’s athletics, is the plethora of young girls inspired in the fifty years of Clemson Athletics. Aspiring female collegiate athletes will continue to be inspired by Clemson female athletes’ grit, strides, and commitment to their teammates and university. Clemson’s women’s athletics has been an example of how much women can achieve, create, and strive in athletic environments. Clemson’s women’s sports will continue to uphold and grow the strength, commitment, and community that belongs to the university.
