CLEMSON – Clemson fans can say “Go Tigers” while they go Bananas this weekend.

The Savannah Bananas, the viral baseball sensation, are set to play their first-ever Banana Ball game at a collegiate football venue this Saturday. The venue, of course, is Memorial Stadium in Clemson.

The game will be the first non-NCAA event at Memorial Stadium, a.k.a. Death Valley, since the George Strait Music Festival in 1999. Additionally, it will also be the first recorded baseball game ever played at Clemson’s iconic venue.

Known for their over-the-top, fan-first approach, the Bananas offer a unique brand of baseball and entertainment. In Banana Ball, fans can catch foul balls for outs, outfielders spring into backflips mid-game, and scoring is based on runs per inning.

Choreographed dances between pitches? They’re also part of the show.

Founded in 2016 as part of the Coastal Plain League (CPL), the Bananas originally played traditional summer league baseball. In 2020, they launched Banana Ball in an exhibition game, and by 2023, they were touring full-time with their distinct rules and style.

Since 2020, the Bananas have sold out MLB Stadiums, NFL Stadiums, and other venues nationwide. This spring, under the leadership of owner Jesse Cole in a yellow tuxedo, they have already performed in 11 venues, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium.

The Bananas’ game at Memorial Stadium will mark their first time playing at a collegiate football stadium, but it is not the first Clemson connection.

Last November, the Clemson baseball team hosted an exhibition game against the Bananas at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, fostered by Cole and head baseball coach Erik Bakich. The game garnered millions of views on social media and featured Clemson players making crazy catches, singing with fans, and even riding into an at-bat on horseback.

Bakich’s relationship with Cole and shared values between the organizations, were crucial elements in the decision to play at Memorial Stadium.

“There was a lot of alignment between their organization and our organization,” said Clemson Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director of Finance and Operations Eric Sabin. “Fan-friendly environment, fans first, just a very unique opportunity. We’ve been looking to bring some new events to Memorial Stadium and we’re considering other venues as well.”

Preparing the Field and Stadium

On a logistical level, the Bananas could not simply walk onto Frank Howard Field to play a game. Instead, earlier this year, Clemson’s athletic department began designing a fully-functional baseball field, complete with a standard infield, pitcher’s mound, bases, and netting down the “third base” line.

To begin the process, Clemson brought in Civil Engineers that previously designed other stadiums on campus to determine the best location and dimensions for the field. The Bananas and Clemson decided to have home plate in the right corner of the West End Zone, facing the jumbotron, to maximize space. 

However, the field’s short dimensions posed challenges. Left field side will be only 160 feet, (compared to Fenway Park’s 310 feet), so people seated in this area will be protected by a 60-foot-tall safety net that extends almost to the 30-yard line on the opposite side of the field.

On Monday, April 7, two days after Clemson’s annual Orange and White Spring Game, Clemson’s crew began resurfacing the field, using 200 tons of red clay to insert the infield and removing the existing grass. According to Jeff Kallin, Clemson’s Senior Associate Athletic Director of Communications, the field reconstruction cost Clemson $150,000.

The athletic department “promised” head football coach Dabo Swinney that the field will be restored, newly equipped with new “Ready, Set, Play” turf well before his summer camps and months ahead of Clemson Football’s home opener against LSU.

As quickly as Death Valley was “Bananafied,” crews will work with the same haste to remove the clay and traces of baseball.

Revenue

Sabin says there is a clear-cut line dividing the revenue that Clemson and the Bananas will split.

The Bananas will take all general ticketing profits, as they sold tickets on their website and sold out Memorial Stadium (81,000 seats) in just four hours. They will also benefit from selling their merchandise in and around the stadium.

Clemson will earn from concession sales, suites and premium area ticket packages, parking passes and Clemson-branded merchandise.

Concessions offerings will be fully functional and with the adoption of alcohol sales this spring, Clemson will also sell a special “Banana Beer” for the occasion. Clemson will be responsible for all game day operations, as well as hiring security.

As for profits, Kallin says the focus is not money, but exposure. Clemson’s financial goal is to break even from the field renovations.

“Being able to showcase Clemson, that is probably not a revenue thing, but there is great value associated with this,” Kallin said.

“This is a nationally televised game on ESPN, so the ability to showcase our institution and our facility is a big deal for us. As we look to do more in bringing events to campus and finding different things, this is one that’s really exciting to be able to start with.”

Gameday

The festivities Saturday will start long before first pitch.

A pregame Fan Fest will start at 2 p.m., in parking Lot 5, adjacent to Tiger Walk.

At 3 p.m., the “heart” of the pregame experience, Beyond the Peel, will commence. This show will include lively broadcasters, special guests, and entertaining cast members, according to the gameday guide posted on Clemson’s website.

The game will begin at 6:30 p.m., and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:15.

While Clemson’s baseball team is away at NC State this weekend, Kallin said coach Bakich is “hoping” to catch some of the game. Expect other special guests and surprise appearances throughout the evening.

Fans of Clemson and the Savannah Bananas can expect to be entertained Saturday, with a rare chance to enjoy a night event at Memorial Stadium outside of football season.

“Certainly, we’re taking every precaution to make sure that the main thing stays the main thing on the football field,” Kallin said. “But, being able to have our venues thought of as a world class place to host an event, the Bananas are going all around the country, all around the world, and they’ve never done one that has more fans than this one.”

–photo courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications