Dabo Swinney didn’t mince words as Clemson gets ready to open against LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
With the unranked Tigers set to face No. 11 LSU, and LSU’s roster still unsettled while the courts and the conference work through whether players who were on NFL rosters last month can take the field, Swinney used his Tuesday, Sept. 1, media availability to blast where college football stands right now.
“I’m at a loss for words. I would just say it’s kind of embarrassing,” said Swinney.
“Honestly, it’s just embarrassing that’s where we are. I don’t blame the kids, but people trying to take advantage of the system.
I just think it’s embarrassing for college football. And we’ve been there for a while.
I just keep my energy and my focus on and my energy on the things that I control and the things that matter, and that’s these kids here and my team. All that outside stuff?
We just kind of, no pun intended, we just stay in our lane here at Clemson.”
He went even further when the conversation turned to the sport’s rules structure.
“We have no rules,” he said. “There’s no governance.
I mean, it’s a joke. There’s zero rules and when you enforce rules somebody just goes and finds a judge and say no you can’t enforce that rule.
Never did I think I’d be living in an era like this, but that’s where we are.”
The comments were shared by TigerNet writer and podcaster Grayson Mann on X.
Swinney has taken heat before for his views on the transfer portal and player compensation, but this latest complaint lands in a different place. Players returning from NFL training camps to play a fifth year of college football is a line that, as the source material puts it, seems to have pushed the issue too far for just about everyone.
In Other News...
Paul Finebaum Turns Up Pressure On Clemson Before LSU
ESPNs Paul Finebaum has added another layer to the buildup around Clemsons trip to LSU, and it has as much to do with the Tigers quarterback situation as the matchup itself. Finebaum questioned whether Christopher Vizzina can handle the job after his work as a backup, while also pointing to the way other top programs have leaned on transfer quarterbacks in recent title runs.
For Clemson, the concern is obvious: the offense is under a microscope before a high-profile road test, and any uncertainty at quarterback only sharpens it. Finebaums point was less about LSU than about whether Clemson can avoid getting bogged down if Vizzina does not take a step forward, which is exactly the kind of pressure that follows a season-opening spotlight game. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Week 1 Opponent Is Suddenly Facing A Major Eligibility Fight
Clemson's Week 1 trip to LSU now carries a little more off-field intrigue than anyone expected, with the SEC and LSU locked in a dispute over player eligibility. The issue stems from a judge ruling against SEC sanctions involving players who had previously signed professional contracts, and LSU is trying to add two players who were recently released by NFL teams.
For Clemson, the immediate football task is still the same, but the backdrop has clearly shifted as the conference sorts through a disagreement that could affect the Tigers' opener. The SEC has already discussed drastic responses, including boycotting games against LSU or even expelling the program, making this one of the more unusual preseason storylines attached to a game that was supposed to be defined by what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Heads Into Death Valley With LSU Bragging Rights On The Line
LSU and Clemson are headed to Baton Rouge for another meeting in a series that has mostly belonged to the Tigers from the SEC, with LSU carrying a 4-1 edge all-time. Beyond the matchup itself, the backdrop gives the game a little extra bite: two proud programs, two fan bases that have long treated their stadium nickname as part of the brand, and plenty of reason to keep score beyond the final result.
LSU also enters this one looking different under new head coach Lane Kiffin, who has reshaped the roster with a heavy transfer influx and added quarterback Sam Leavitt among the key newcomers. For Clemson, the trip is about more than a road game. It is another chance to answer an old debate on familiar ground, where the Death Valley label has been a point of pride for both programs and the winner gets a little more bragging rights to carry away. [Read more 🡒]