Clemson’s Death Valley Disrespected by EA Sports

I was all excited about EA Sports bringing back its college football game next month. However, after seeing what they released Tuesday regarding their Top 10 toughest places to play, I am wondering just how good the game is going to be.

If you do not know what I am talking about, let me get you up to speed. EA Sports is releasing its college football game for the first time since 2013, now that players can be paid for their Name, Image and Likeness.

The game, College Football ’25, has everybody excited about its July 19 release. The people at EA Sports have slowly put out information regarding the game over the last three weeks and on Tuesday it released how it will depict the toughest places to play.

Obviously, EA Sports screwed up.

Why?

EA Sports does not have Memorial Stadium in Clemson in its top 10 of the toughest places to play in college football. It does not even have Clemson ranked No. 11. They have Death Valley, the original one by the way, ranked No. 12 on their list.

That’s right, No. 12?

I am not sure what criteria EA Sports used when coming up with its list, but whatever it was, it was wrong. To me, wins and losses should mean something. Also, the atmosphere at Clemson on game days can compete with the best of the best and does, even when ESPN or ABC sticks it in the Noon time slot on a Fall Saturday.

If you need a witness on how tough Memorial Stadium is, go ask former Notre Dame and Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman. Heck, go ask LSU head coach Brian Kelly. He still has nightmares about those 82,000 fans that packed Memorial Stadium with a monsoon crashing down on the stadium when he was the head coach at Notre Dame.

Here is why EA Sports’ list is a joke, and anybody who does not at least rank Clemson in their top 10. Yes, I am talking to you, Andy Staples.

In the College Football Playoff Era, Clemson is 65-3 at Memorial Stadium, tied with Alabama for the best record at home. During this stretch, the Tigers won 40 straight games (2016-’22), the longest home winning streak in college football since Miami’s record streak of 58 games from 1985-’94.

There was a point from 2013-’22, where Clemson was 65-1 in Death Valley. Going back to 2011, the Tigers are 85-5 there. Since Dabo Swinney took over as head coach halfway through the 2008 season, Clemson has posted a 97-9 record at Memorial Stadium.

Do you see why you screwed up EA Sports? Do you see why you sound ignorant, Andy Staples?

By the way, Andy, I know you think Clemson is not as loud as other places because the hill on the east side lets out too much noise, which, by the way, is ridiculous. So, click on this video link from the Miami game in 2005, and wait for the sound on the field—not from the television—and tell me the sound doesn’t stay in the stadium.

Also, watch the video Clemson released from last year’s North Carolina game and tell me the sound doesn’t stay in the stadium. UNC’s offensive line is still jumping offside.

One more thing, go find some history books and see how the noise at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium changed the rules in the NCAA and the ACC when it came to fan noise. Death Valley is loud, and it always has been.

By the way, it’s also a real valley — that is why the east hill of the stadium drops 110 feet.

Clemson has been one of the toughest places to play in college football for decades. Since the stadium was built in 1942, the Tigers have won 76 percent of their games there. Clemson is 340-104-7 at Death Valley all-time.

There is no excuse for EA Sports to screw this up, nor anyone that does not list Clemson as one of the top 10 toughest places to play in college football.

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