From the Desk of Dan Radakovich – Mar. 5, 2014

Hello Tiger Fans,

The shortest month of the year is in the books, and Clemson Tigers of all stripes put the 28 days to good use. From National Signing Day to the beginning of the baseball season, with basketball, track, golf, tennis and diving in full swing, February saw a few great Clemson moments, along with some snow as well.

Congratulations are in order for men’s basketball, as Brad Brownell’s team has won four conference road games this season, tied for the second-most in school history. After a thrilling double-overtime victory over Maryland, the Tigers finish the regular season with a pair of home games this week on Tuesday and Saturday, I ask that you come out and support the team as they put the finishing touches on a solid season. Audra Smith and the women’s team travel to Greensboro this week for the ACC Tournament, as they close out year one of our rebuilding process.

Men’s and women’s tennis are both off to outstanding starts, with the men ranked 21st after a 12-2 record to start the campaign. The women are ranked 15th after a 10-3 start, with a 3-0 mark in conference play. The men’s team hosts 33rd-ranked South Carolina Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. If you’ve never been to a top-level collegiate tennis match, I highly recommend giving it a chance, as there’s exciting action across all six courts.

While the baseball team had a disappointing and difficult weekend against our rival, I have confidence the coaches and players will pull together and have a successful season as they begin conference play next weekend.

Part of the work we do each day is to create opportunities for each of our teams to be successful against our rival and in the ACC. Some of the improvements are visible, like our planned facility improvements, which will show Clemson’s commitment to having a great infrastructure for student-athlete development and competitive excellence. Other work, which may not be as visible, deals with programs and processes that enhance our opportunities for success.

On the facility front, I spent some time in Columbia last week as the process of facility upgrades and enhancements continues. Both the Joint Bond Review Committee and the Budget Control Board gave final concept approval for the suites renovation at Memorial Stadium and the rebuild of Littlejohn Coliseum. We’ve begun the process of selecting architectural firms for those projects, while the Doug Kingsmore Stadium renovation is entering the final phase before construction begins following the season.

We could not continue our quest to get better without the loyal commitment of our donors and fans. It is not easy all the time, but rarely is any worthwhile endeavor. We continue to develop opportunities to improve the experience for our fans and supporters. From the purchase of season tickets, to parking and tailgating, to the in-game experience and travel back home, this is a critical component now and will be even more critical in the future.

As always, thank you for your support of Clemson Athletics.

Go Tigers,

Dan