CLEMSON — Though Clemson started selling alcohol at athletic events this past spring, Saturday’s game between No. 4 Clemson and No. 9 LSU will mark the first time Memorial Stadium will sell alcohol during a Clemson football game.

With that said, head coach Dabo Swinney pointed out that Saturday will not be the first time alcohol found its way into Memorial Stadium.

“It is probably the first time they are selling it, but it ain’t the first time it has been there, I can promise you. I think that is probably the only difference,” Swinney said with a chuckle following Wednesday’s practice.

Swinney, who has coached at Clemson as an assistant or head coach since 2003, was asked how he thought alcohol being sold in the stadium, especially with it being a night game on Saturday, would affect the atmosphere.

Saturday will mark the first top 10 matchup to open a season at Memorial Stadium since No. 8 Clemson beat No. 5 Georgia in 2013.

Obviously, Swinney did not hold back, as he described an unspoken Clemson tradition that goes back to the early days of Memorial Stadium, which was built in 1942.

“I think, as long as I have been here, they just let people go out at halftime, right? I am sure they’re all not bringing Diet Cokes back in,” Swinney laughed. “It is kind of like NIL and pre-NIL. Right?”

For decades, Clemson has allowed fans to leave Memorial Stadium at halftime and return once the second half begins. As Swinney alluded to, some patrons will go out to the parking lots and partake in an adult beverage or two before heading back into the stadium.

Some, depending on the game and the score, choose to stay at their tailgate after halftime. Those who return, may or may not, sneak something extra into the stadium, which they will not have to do anymore because Clemson is now selling alcohol inside Memorial Stadium.