Clemson Tigers Could See Future Home-and-Home Series Move to Neutral Sites

Currently, the Clemson Tigers have a home-and-home series in every season up to the 2038 season. However, that could change according to one of their opponent’s athletic directors.

According to the Athens Banner-Herald, Georgia’s athletic director, Josh Brooks, is considering moving the upcoming home-and-home series between the Tigers and Bulldogs back to a neutral site location. Brooks told the publication that he and Clemson athletic director Graham Neff “are in talks” to have it moved off both campuses.

The two are lined up to play at Memorial Stadium in 2029, then play again at Sanford Stadium in 2030. However, the location could be changing ahead of time.

It would be similar to that of the 2021 and 2024 seasons, when the two programs last faced off against each other in regional locations. Clemson and Georgia faced off inside Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte to kick off the 2021 season, then went to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta three years later to play the second game.

Both games ended in victories for the Bulldogs: a 10-3 win in Charlotte and a 34-3 win in Atlanta.

Brooks has to worry about another home-and-home first that is expected to move, which will put his program up against Florida State in 2027-28. That is expected to change with several cities around the Southeast having the possibility of hosting the teams over the two consecutive years.

For Clemson, the Tigers haven’t played in Athens since the 2014 season. Georgia topped the Tigers at Sanford Stadium to open that season, 45-21, and Clemson saw four touchdowns scored from standout running back Todd Gurley.

The year before, Memorial Stadium hosted the two teams. That was a successful game for head coach Dabo Swinney, ending in a 38-35 victory over the Bulldogs.

Neutral site games have been on the rise for a lot of these non-conference games, not only for local fans, but for money. The Bulldogs see plenty of success financially when they play their annual rivalry game against Florida on neutral sites, and Brooks is thinking about doing the same for the Tigers.

The two teams agreed to the home-and-home series back in 2018. Clemson has other home-and-home series in its future as well. It begins with the second game against LSU in Baton Rouge to open 2026.

A year ago, the Tigers finalized a 12-year deal to trade home contests with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2027-38. That will begin at Memorial Stadium.

Georgia is sandwiched in between a handful of these contests, and a home-and-home is also expected to occur against Oklahoma in 2035-36.

Nothing has been changed just yet, but with the way things are trending, it could mean that Clemson fans might need to travel to new sites to watch their Tigers face off against the Bulldogs in the old-school rivalry. Charlotte and Atlanta will be the obvious choices off the bat.

In the talks with Florida State, Georgia is also considering Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, Tampa, or Orlando, according to On3’s Brett McMurphy.

If it ends up being the case, perhaps it raises the stakes a little more for a regional fanbase for Swinney. However, it hasn’t been changed just yet.

Add us as a preferred source on Google