Why is LSU's football stadium called Death Valley? Investigating the significance of the name and the history associated with Clemson University

Tiger Stadium, home to the LSU Tigers, is easily one of the most iconic stadiums in the world. With a maximum seating capacity of over 102,000 fans and some of the toughest home crowds to play against, the stadium has been a nightmare for opposing teams for decades. But even more iconic than the stadium itself, perhaps, is its unique moniker: "Death Valley."

Nestled in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tiger Stadium earned its nickname through decades of battles and legendary victories. But it wasn't until the late 1950s that the Tigers were actually bestowed the "Death Valley" nickname.

The originators of the moniker were none other than the Clemson Tigers. Their home ground, the Memorial Stadium, was the first to earn the nickname "Death Valley," owing to their dominance over the college football landscape in the 1940s. But it wasn't long before the LSU stepped in to steal the thunder from Clemson.

They faced off against Clemson in the 1959 Sugar Bowl, and a close 7-0 victory would cause fans of the purple and gold to take over the moniker from the Memorial Stadium to the Tiger Stadium. Today, both fanbases widely know their respective stadiums as the "Death Valley."

Who coined the name "Death Valley" and why?

Alabama vs. LSU

In 1948, Presbyterian College would face defeat against Clemson in a game at the Memorial Stadium. For years on end, the Blue Hoses would get whipped at Clemson's home field. After their upsetting defeat in '48, coach Lonnie McMillian called the Memorial Stadium "Death Valley." The name, reflecting the state park in California with some of the world's hottest temperatures, eventually stuck.

As for LSU, their stadium was initially termed "Deaf Valley," for its packed and maddeningly loud crowds. Only after 1959 did the Memorial Stadium and the Tiger Stadium share the same nickname.

Today, both the Death Valleys are a major challenge for opposing teams. In fact, Tiger Stadium has often been coined the most difficult stadium to play in, owing to the immense outpouring of support that the Tigers receive from their dedicated fanbase.

So much so, that until the 1980s, Tiger Stadium was famous for its dormitories inside the stadium. The dorms were a way for the school to expand the stadium. After the state legislature denied funds to build onto the stadium, populist Governor Huey P. Long, an advocate of the football program, found another way. He had the state build dormitories which just happened to be in the shape of the stadium in the 1930s.

While the Wolverines' Michigan stadium or the Buckeyes' Columbus stadium might have a larger seating capacity, there truly isn't any crowd that matches up to the sheer energy of Tiger Stadium and LSU fans.

After all, in 1988, a touchdown celebration in a win over Auburn, triggered a crowd reaction that was a registered on a campus seismograph. The game is forever remembered as "The Earthquake Game."