It was tagged by the late Presbyterian College Coach Lonnie McMillian in the late 1940s. After bringing his teams to Clemson for years and getting whipped, he said the place was like “Death Valley.” A few years later, the name stuck.
Also if you look at the stadium prior to the 1978 season and the upgrades since. You can see that Memorial Stadium is built into a “natural” valley as it sits on two opposing hills with the playing field down below.
LSU who would years later endear their stadium as “Deaf Valley” due to the volume levels attributed to its stadium design and the fanatical fanbase. That term eventually morphed into “Death Valley” and so the debate begins. You ask any College Football historian and its Clemson that gets the nod due to the year and natural design of the stadium. But if you had to leave it up to the fans of College Football this debate even though negated by facts will continue to carry on.
#CLEMSON