Will the real Death Valley please stand up?LSU and Clemson open the college football season with a titanic Week 1 showdown—but there’s one problem that has both proud fanbases up in arms. They both refer to their home stadiums as Death Valley.Sure, their official names are Memorial Stadium (Clemson) and Tiger Stadium (LSU), but everyone knows them simply as Death Valley.But who did it first? And what does that name even mean?Both schools have different Death Valley origins, but there was one clear winner as to who did it first.Step right up, Clemson Tigers.During the late 1940s, Presbyterian College head coach Lonnie McMillian referred to Memorial Stadium as “Death Valley” due to the fact that his teams could never win there and that they were always going there to die.The name has stuck ever since.LSU stumbled upon the famous nickname in a different, albeit somewhat similar, fashion. In the 1950s, Tiger Stadium was known to be one of the loudest places to play in all of college football. Opposing teams would refer to it as Deaf Valley.Over the years that gradually evolved into Death Valley, as it was a more intimidating moniker and a clever play on the original words.By the 1960s Tiger Stadium was also known as Death Valley.Clemson proudly claims itself as Death ValleyGettyPrimetime games in Clemson have a different feel to themGettyNow the two storied programs will meet Saturday night under the South Carolina sky in a massive top-10 showdown, as No. 4 Clemson welcomes No. 9 LSU into the original Death Valley.One fan joked online that, “‘Winner gets to keep the naming rights.”The last time these schools met, Joe Burrow was pointing to his ring finger as he led LSU past Trevor Lawrence and Clemson in the national championship in January 2020.Overall, Clemson holds a 3-1 all-time series lead over LSU.As these two titans of the sport are set to do battle, here are a few testimonials over the years on just how hard it is to play at both Death Valleys.Clemson’s Death Valley“Everything just seems like a hushed roar. That’s all you hear. You really can’t hear anybody standing next to you. You just have to shake your head and pretend like you heard what they said. I think it’s just the mystique of Clemson, seeing the guys coming off the hilltop and the way the stadium is shaped.” — Marcus Jones, North Carolina All-AmericanLSU will tell you that they are the one and only Death ValleyGettyA night game in Tiger Stadium is one of the best atmospheres in all of sportsGetty“I remember being nervous before the game because there were 80,000 people dressed in orange. It’s intimidating. I even threw up before the game. It’s the only time I’ve ever done that.” — Dave Brown, former Duke quarterback“When Clemson players rub that rock and run down the hill, it’s the most exciting 25 seconds in college football.” — Brent Musburger, ABC Sports“I came here knowing it would be loud and that Clemson would hit me hard, but to me, the noise was the biggest factor. I know I didn’t concentrate as well because of it.” — Herschel Walker, after Clemson’s 13-3 victory in 1981, his only regular-season loss at GeorgiaLSU’s Death Valley“The toughest place to play in the SEC is LSU, Death Valley. The fans there are relentless. They don’t stop at all. They keep going.” — Darren McFadden, former Arkansas All-American running back“It was electric. When Death Valley is rocking, it seems as if it might actually take flight. On Saturday, I went back to Baton Rouge to see Alabama barely beat LSU, and was, once again, reminded that Tiger Stadium is the best place in the world to watch a sporting event. … I’m not sure what it was like to walk into the Coliseum, but I bet it was something like this.” — Wright Thompson, ESPN The Magazine / ESPN.com (Nov. 10, 2008)“Death Valley in Baton Rouge is the loudest stadium I’ve ever been in. There are very few stadiums in America worth a touchdown, but the Bayou Bengals certainly have that advantage in Tiger Stadium.” — Adrian Karsten, former ESPN sideline reporterBurrow led LSU over Clemson in the national championship in January 2020Getty“For three hours on Saturday night, I don’t know that there has ever been an atmosphere in sports that I’ve been a part of that was as memorable to me. I have no dog in this fight. I mean, look, I’ve been to games where I’ve watched Maryland win a national championship—that was very personal to me. Makes me think of my dad who left us too soon.“I have nothing but being a sports fan on the line on Saturday night. And I’ve never seen something that felt like that. Or heard anything that was as sustained as that. … Everything that was part of the experience, I was told it was going to be awesome. It was better than I was told it was. … There is nothing I would put ahead of that that I’ve EVER seen in any sport. When you’re there, you don’t want to miss anything.” — Scott Van Pelt, ESPN Radio, on the 2012 LSU-Alabama game in Death Valley“Whatever Saturday night brings at Memorial Stadium, it’s sure to be epic—and Death Valley will be rocking. That’s a guarantee.