Clemson Announces Georgia Provost as New President-Elect

Just two days ago, it was announced that former Clemson President-Elect Kevin Guskiewicz had bailed on the University and opted to remain at Michigan State for personal reasons.

However, the Board of Trustees made a quick pivot to their backup plan, Georgia Provost Ben Ayers. They scheduled a meeting for this morning at 9:30, which unanimously approved Ayers’ contract and introduced him as the school’s 16th President. He is set to begin his duties on August 1, 2026.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected to serve as the next president of Clemson University,” Ayers said in a letter to the University. “I am grateful to the Board of Trustees and the search committee for its confidence and humbled by the opportunity to join the Clemson Family.”

“Clemson’s tradition of excellence, its commitment to students and its impact through teaching, research and service make it one of the nation’s most respected public universities. I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters to build upon the strong foundation and shape an even brighter future together.”

A new chapter begins at Clemson.

Please join us in welcoming Benjamin C. Ayers, Ph.D. as the 16th president of Clemson University.

President-Elect Ayers will begin serving as president on Aug. 1.

Welcome to the Clemson Family! pic.twitter.com/Qe3HPrDVjX
— Clemson University (@ClemsonUniv) July 9, 2026

Ayers’ Background

Ayers served for 11 years as dean of the Terry College of Business, one of the nation’s leading public business schools.

“During his tenure, the college strengthened its national reputation, expanded academic offerings, increased undergraduate and graduate enrollment, significantly grew scholarships and study abroad opportunities and endowed academic departments, institutes, chairs and professorships,” Board Chair Kim Wilkerson said.

“The college also completed a successful fundraising campaign resulting in more than $300 million in private support for students, faculty, academic programs and new facilities.”

While Ayers had never held a University Presidency, he was largely seen as the next guy up behind Morehead after he was promoted to the Provost position in 2025, according to TigerIllustrated’s Larry Williams.

In his new role, Ayers excelled, even helping launch a new School of Medicine. He has also led the University’s research and innovation efforts through a period of significant achievement, during which the University earned the top national spot among U.S. institutions for launching new products to market.

“Dean Ayers has long been an engaged and thoughtful campus leader, fully invested in supporting the academic priorities of the institution,” Georgia President Jere Morehead said in a press release following his promotion last summer. “He is well respected by faculty, staff, students and alumni alike, and the deep and abiding relationships he has established with business and government leaders over the years will serve the University of Georgia extremely well.”

How Guskiewicz’s Exit Reshaped the Search

Guskiewicz was unanimously appointed to be the 16th President of Clemson on May 27. He even took a trip down to Tigertown with his wife in late June for the summer meetings of the Board of Trustees. But just weeks later, it was announced that he had opted to stay in East Lansing for the foreseeable future.

The primary reason Guskiewicz was the first option was his strength in the Athletics department and his near-decade of experience as President/Chancellor at two major universities (North Carolina and Michigan State).

While Ayers was always thought highly of in the candidate pool during the University’s six-month search, he decided to step back from consideration to give his all to Georgia for the time being.

“The candidate pool also included Dr. Benjamin Ayers. Dr. Ayers distinguished himself throughout this search as a thoughtful, collaborative and accomplished leader with an unwavering commitment to the mission of public higher education,” Wilkerson continued. “Prior to Clemson’s final decision, Dr. Ayers stepped back from consideration in order to remain fully committed to the University of Georgia, where he served as senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.”

“When circumstances changed, conversations resumed, and the Board quickly affirmed what had become clear throughout the search: Dr. Ayers’ experience and vision made him the unanimous choice to serve as Clemson’s next president.”

What This Means Going Forward

It appears that Ayers is not as much of an athletics-minded person as Guskiewicz. That’s not to say he knows nothing about it, as he was very engaged with the Bulldogs’ Athletics and has a great relationship with Georgia Football head coach Kirby Smart.

However, his strong suit is on the financial side. This aspect will prove to be extremely important over the coming years with regard to budgeting, as well as athletics’ revenue share and NIL.

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