A parent's point of view

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun May 27 16:44:37 GMT-04:00 2012

CLEMSON – Clemson football fans are watching the rumors of a potential conference switch with an interested eye, the possibilities of new rivalries, new stadiums to visit and an influx of cash are just a few of the reasons that some fans give for wanting to switch.

Another group that watches the proceedings closely are the parents of Clemson commitments and prospects, many of whom are left wondering what impact a move of that magnitude might have on their children.

TigerNet spoke with the parent of a Clemson commitment, who contacted our site with concerns about the rumors, and agreed to give a parent’s point of view on the situation with the caveat we not use his name for fear of potential backlash.

The parent said that he sat down and took a look at the distances between Clemson and the rest of the Big 12 schools, and immediately realized that road trips to watch his son play simply wouldn’t be a possibility.

“We wouldn’t go. We sat down and looked at this analytically, and other than West Virginia, the closest school to Clemson in the Big 12 is TCU,” the parent said. “That is 16 hours away in a car. That is the closest drive. And we all know that with airline prices being what they are - and us being in the middle class - we would only be able to travel to one away game or maybe two in a 13 or 14 game season.

“That is not as many as compared to if Clemson stayed in the ACC. You can drive to North Carolina, you can drive to Duke, you can drive to Wake Forest, and you can drive to Georgia Tech and schools like that. You can drive to all of those places. I talked to some of my friends that have sons that play Division I ball, and they say that would be a hindrance in terms of travel for them. They told me, ‘Best of luck in going to Clemson and watching them play all over the country.’ If you stay in the ACC, that isn’t a problem.”

He said that as the parent of a son who has gone through the recruiting process, he knows that such a move would hurt recruiting in the long run and that opposing coaches would use that to their advantage.

“That would absolutely hurt recruiting,” he said. “Being a parent who has lived through the recruiting process, you have to make a decision with that in mind. We are moving closer to Clemson so we can watch our son play and because we want to be a part of his life. We live our lives for our children first, and we have not missed any recitals or any athletic events. We don’t want that to start now, and we knew that we weren’t going to let where we work or live restrict us.”

As a result, moving closer to Clemson would only help for the home games if Clemson were to move.

“We were going to relocate because we wanted to see him play more,” he said. “There are a lot of parents that I know like that. But if their kid is going to be playing a lot of games outside of their region or locale, then that becomes a burden and a hindrance. It would make you rethink some things.”

The parent said that he has already taken a look at the logistics of playing a late night game out in current Big 12 country, and he wonders how it would affect his son’s academic performance.

“You know that if you play a night game out there, you are going to lose an hour on the way home, and then you aren’t going to get back to Clemson until three or four in the morning,” he said. “And these young men are already tired, and maybe they’ve lost a football game. They will want to get their rest and sleep a good bit of the day. But they also have homework and maybe meetings with the team on Sunday. So that day is shot. You may or may not fall behind.”

He said he understands the allure of more money for a university is a valid argument for moving, and he just hopes that the powers that be make the right choice.

“I understand the role that money plays in all of this,” he said. “You have to do what is best for the university. I hope they put the money back into the school, and not just in athletics. But at the same time, there has to be a concern for the players themselves and the impact on their lives as students. And also the impact it has on the fan base in general.”