CLEMSON, S.C. — The Clemson men’s soccer team will embark on its 61st season of competition in 2020, with the team’s schedule consisting of one scrimmage, eight regular season matches and the ACC Tournament. The Tigers are a part of the South Region within the ACC and will face Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest during conference play.
“Every day we’re getting closer to playing something significant,” said Head Coach Mike Noonan. “The slate of games we’ve been able to put together is great for fan viewing. We’re really excited!”
“I think the South Region has some fantastic teams. Wake Forest and the University of North Carolina are perennial national championship contenders. Duke has turned into a great rivalry for us, as has NC State. Those are games that we’ll be very focused on,” said Noonan.
Clemson will waste no time when it comes to competing against a top-class opponent, as the Tigers will travel to the University of Virginia for the team’s lone scrimmage. The two sides met in the championship match of last season’s ACC Tournament as the nation’s top two teams, with the country’s soccer media calling it the “Match of the Century.”
“I think it’s classic that the ACC Championship match will be relived in our opening scrimmage, but scrimmages aren’t just scrimmages when you only get nine games,” remarked Noonan.
The regular season kicks off for Clemson against Wake Forest under the lights at Historic Riggs Field on Friday, Sept. 18. The two sides met during the 2020 spring season at Historic Riggs Field and Clemson emerged as a 1-0 victor thanks to the clinical finishing of James Brighton.
Clemson’s first two contests of the seas will be against teams that competed in the 2019 College Cup. Virginia finished last season as the national runner-up to Georgetown.
Clemson will square-off against two non-conference opponents during the regular season. The Tigers’ match against the South Carolina Gamecocks will be the 49th meeting between the two sides, with Clemson holding a 30-17-1 overall record in the series. Clemson has won the last six matches in the Palmetto Series after capturing a 4-1 victory last year at home to open the 2019 campaign.
Noonan spoke about the Palmetto Series by saying, “We’re happy to get South Carolina and get the traditional rival on the schedule.”
A quartet of ACC matches closes out the regular season for the Tigers, with three of the four being played on the road.
The fall season is set to culminate with the ACC Tournament. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will be played at North Carolina campus sites, while the championship match will be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. A full tournament bracket can be found here.
Clemson’s 2020 schedule features three opponents that were ranked in the final United Soccer Coaches national rankings for 2019, with Virginia (#2), Wake Forest (#3) and NC State (RV) joining Clemson (#5) in the end-of-year rankings.
All matches are subject to change and information will be released as soon as possible on clemsontigers.com. Television coverage will be announced once finalized by providers.
Historic Riggs Field Social Distancing & Operations
Historic Riggs Field will have a unique feel during the 2020 season and we ask that all fans please adhere to the following safety protocols put in place to ensure the well-being of all fans and participants.
