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Clemson Prowl and Growl tour makes stop in Aiken

matthew christian, aiken standard, s.c.
·4 min read

May 13—The gym in the Gregg-Graniteville Student Activities Center at Aiken Technical College filled with a sea of orange and purple as the Clemson Prowl and Growl tour made a stop in Aiken Thursday evening.

Tigers football coach Dabo Swinney, men's basketball coach Brad Brownell, Athletic Director Graham Neff and women's lacrosse coach Allison Kwolek were among the speakers at the event. Don Munson, play-by-play broadcaster for Clemson football, men's basketball and baseball, was the host.

Swinnney said before the event began that the tour was a part of what makes Clemson University special.

"It's something that has gone on for years and years," Swinney said. "Especially now, because it's been three years since we've been able to do this. It's great to be back on the road. It's great to have some in-person things."

Brownell said he and Swinney really enjoyed visiting different parts of the state and meeting Tiger fans.

"We're really appreciative of all they do to come support us during the season so it's nice for us to be able come in the off-season and spend a little time with them and thank them for all the support they give to IPTAY and just coming to all the games," Brownell said. "It's a lot of fun."

IPTAY is Clemson's athletic booster organization.

Both the football and basketball teams will be looking to have more success in their 2022 seasons than they did in the 2021 seasons.

In football, the Tigers won 10 games for the 11th straight season but didn't win the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time in six years. They also missed the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2014.

Swinney said the 2021 season wasn't an off year but a great one.

"To win 10 games in college football is not easy," he said. "All you got to do is look at how many teams do it especially consistently. It wasn't a championship year but every year is not going to be a championship year."

Swinney said he thought the 2021 team did their best as the season played out. He added that the Tigers won the state championship: the Palmetto Bowl over South Carolina and an early season victory over South Carolina State.

He said the Tigers first goal is to win their division, the ACC Atlantic, and then the ACC. Swinney said the Tigers need to "bring it every week" and make plays in critical moments next year.

Swinney referenced plays in the North Carolina State and Pittsburgh games. He credited those teams for making the plays in those games last year.

He also said the Tigers needed to stay healthier next year.

In men's basketball, the Tigers failed to make a return trip to the NCAA tournament.

Brownell said the Tigers needed to stay healthy and be more consistent next year. He also said there were a couple of games that the Tigers could have won but failed to close out.

"I'm really proud of how we finished last year," he continued. "I thought our guys really competed until the end and I'm very excited about this year's team so it should be fun."

Neff said he had just returned from ACC meetings in Florida where a potential football scheduling change was discussed by athletic directors and coaches.

Currently, the Tigers play the other six members of the Atlantic division and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets each season. The Tigers rotate through the remaining members of the Coastal division over a six year period.

The proposed changes would eliminate the divisions and set thee opponents that the Tigers would face each year. This would allow the Tigers to play each of the remaining 10 members of the ACC twice in four years.

Neff said said all 14 ACC coaches attended coaches meetings during the ACC spring meetings in Florida and provided great feedback and dialogue on the proposed changes. He added that nothing had been finalized yet but said that there was a lot of momentum toward changing how the ACC schedules its football games.

Kwolek is one of the newest coaches on the campus.

The Tigers are starting a women's lacrosse program and plan to play their first games next season.

She said she was optimistic that Tigers would quickly become successful because the facilities the Tigers are building would be among the best in the country.