There’s no doubt that Clemson’s Memorial Stadium is difficult to play in and compares to the very best venues in all of college football.

But where exactly does Clemson’s Death Valley rank among college football’s most daunting environments, according to one national outlet?

CBS Sports ranked the most intimidating stadiums for the 2025 college football season, or “stadiums guaranteed to strike fear in opponents with potential record-setting noise levels.”

Memorial Stadium, where Clemson will host LSU in Week 1 on Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m., ABC), checked in at No. 8 in the aforementioned ranking.

“Anyone else anxious for opening weekend? LSU-Clemson from the ACC’s Death Valley should be scintillating,” CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford wrote. “The Tigers’ 40-game home winning streak was snapped in 2022 by South Carolina, but this is one of the nation’s toughest road asks for quality teams. Notre Dame found that out two seasons ago after Clemson touched Howard’s Rock before running down the hill and punching the Fighting Irish in the mouth. This is the only ACC environment that offers a SEC feel outside of Doak Campbell (Florida State) at night.”

Clemson will travel to LSU’s Tiger Stadium in 2026, and that venue is ranked No. 1 on the CBS Sports list.

“Tiger Stadium provides a pressure-cooker feel before every kickoff against SEC competition, especially when the game’s played at night — which happens often,” Crawford wrote. “You get southern Super Bowl vibes before Alabama-LSU or Florida-LSU in Baton Rouge because the games mean so much to a passionate and buzzed fanbase. When LSU’s band and students sing “Neck”, it’s impossible to drown out.”

As for Clemson’s archrival, South Carolina, the Gamecocks have lost each of their last five home games against the Tigers across the 2015-23 seasons, and Clemson is 18-6 against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium since 1977.

However, CBS Sports ranked Williams-Brice as the sixth-most intimidating stadium for the upcoming season.

“Sandstorm. 2001. Cocky. Do yourself a favor and get to a South Carolina home game this season against Oklahoma, Alabama or Clemson,” Crawford wrote. “The Gamecocks crowd will be fired up to try and spark a home victory over a ranked opponent, something they’ve accomplished three times during Shane Beamer’s tenure. This place becomes really scary when South Carolina gets an early lead. It feels like the student section in the end zone is about to claw its way onto the field.”

Clemson travels to Williams-Brice Stadium on Nov. 29 (12 p.m. ABC or ESPN). A win this year would give the Tigers six straight road wins against the Gamecocks for the first time since winning in Columbia six straight times across the 1989-99 seasons.

Clemson’s 2025 schedule will once again feature a full seven-game home slate in Death Valley (LSU, Aug. 30; Troy, Sept. 6; Syracuse, Sept. 20; SMU, Oct. 18; Duke, Nov. 1; Florida State, Nov. 8; Furman, Nov. 22).