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Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney discusses the program's challenges with NIL deals, emphasizing that they won't mimic larger programs like Alabama and Ohio State. He acknowledges Clemson's smaller alumni base but highlights the team's competitive success under his leadership.
For all the changes happening across college football, the way the Clemson Tigers operate hasnât really shifted.
That might sound odd in an era driven by NIL deals and growing financial gaps, but head coach Dabo Swinney made it clear Clemson isnât trying to mirror the sportâs biggest brands. Programs like Alabama Crimson Tide football, Ohio State Buckeyes football, Georgia Bulldogs football, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football still hold advantages in areas like alumni backing and financial reach.
âAt Clemson, we always have to have a chip on our shoulder,â Swinney said on Always College Football with Greg McElroy. âIt just is what it is, we donât have the same alumni base that other schools we have played and had to compete with over the years have. Thatâs just the way it is.â
Despite that, Clemson hasnât exactly struggled to keep up. During Swinneyâs tenure, the Tigers have consistently delivered against elite competition, owning a strong record against Ohio State while also picking up multiple wins over Alabama and Notre Dame.
âNotre Dame has their own TV station. They make their own rules. They print their own money. They got like their own money machine in the backyard or something,â Swinney said.
Dabo Swinney stated that Clemson faces challenges with NIL deals due to a smaller alumni base compared to larger programs.
Clemson does not aim to mirror programs like Alabama and Ohio State, which have advantages in alumni support and financial resources.
Under Dabo Swinney, Clemson has maintained a strong competitive record, achieving multiple wins against elite teams like Ohio State and Alabama.
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The success stretches further. Clemson hasnât dropped games to Auburn, Texas A&M, or Oklahoma under Swinney, and those runs came alongside two national championships. For a program often viewed as operating outside the sportâs inner circle, the results say otherwise.
Still, Swinney doesnât believe anything about Clemsonâs approach needs to change, even as the landscape shifts.
âThe more things change the more they stay the same,â he said. âNow, it is just different (in how it is done). We do not have the same NIL budget as some places have. We do not have some of the same built-in resources from an alumni base and all of that type of stuff.â
âWe donât but guess what? We never have. But you know what we do have? We have enough. We got enough. We just have to be good with what we have.â
To explain that mindset, Swinney pointed to the story of Jesus Christ feeding a crowd with limited food.
âBut like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describe in the Bible, Clemson has enough,â he said. âWe may only have five loafs and two fish, but we got enough. We have to bring all we got to the table and use it and be smart. Then we just have to be Clemson.â
âWe have won here for so long because we have been unique in how we have done things. We just have to continue to be that.â
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Dabo Swinney on Clemson footballâs NIL struggles compared to others