Florida State is rolling out a new game-day push for Clemson, and interim athletic director Bruce Warwick says it’s meant to set the tone for more than just one night.
Warwick announced “Operation Garnet Storm” during his first public media appearance on the university’s “Inside Seminole football” show on Monday, Oct. 26. The initiative will debut for the Seminoles’ game against Clemson at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, and will include a drone show, a light show, interactive elements and a new Garnet Hour.
“We have a drone show and a light show, and that's something we've never done here before,” Warwick said about Garnet Hour. “As you go around to different venues in the country, you steal their best ideas. It'll bring a new and exciting element to Doak Campbell Stadium.”
Warwick has been in the interim AD role since the firing of Michael Alford in September and had not previously been made available to local media.
The Clemson game will also double as Military Appreciation Night. The game ball will be delivered by parachute jump by the USSOCOM Para-Commandos from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
The night’s opening touches will lean heavily into that theme. The national anthem will include the joint FSU/FAMU ROTC color guard and March-On with enhanced pyrotechnics, and Florida State will come onto the field with three players carrying the American flag, POW-MIA flag and FSU flag. The first half will also include recognition of veterans, current service members and leadership, along with videos of FSU football players with military ties.
There’s another tribute built into the night, too. Florida State will honor Peter Warrick, who is scheduled to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Because the game falls on Halloween weekend, the school is also planning a pregame trunk-or-treat and themed concession offerings.
Warwick said the new fan experience elements are not being treated as a one-off.
“This is not a one-time event. A bunch of people came together, came up with some creative ideas, and we want to elevate the experience by honoring the tradition as well. We're gonna do this moving forward,” Warwick said.
“It was just unique for this opportunity with Halloween, with young families, with students who like to go to parties and things like that, but we knew we had to do some things to incentivize them to come into the building and make it a great atmosphere because the team feeds off the atmosphere in Doak Campbell Stadium. So we're doing a lot of things that are a little bit different, but we think we put a good plan together, and we got a lot of good things planned for the future.”
Florida State enters the Clemson game with a 3-4 record, 1-3 in the ACC. The Seminoles are scheduled to host Clemson on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. on ACC Network.
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