Clemson's athletic teams have been nicknamed the Tigers since 1896, when coach (and later university president) Walter Merritt Riggs brought the name from his alma mater, Auburn University. The school's first costumed mascot was the Southern Gentleman, a student dressed in a purple formal suit with a top hat and cane.

The origins of Clemson’s fervor for the tiger as Clemson mascot hark back to the year 1896. During this time, Coach Walter Merritt Riggs, a figure who would later rise to become the university's president, introduced the moniker "Tigers." Riggs drew this moniker from his days at Auburn University, paying homage to his alma mater's legacy.

Reigning national champion Clemson took on the mascot in 1896, borrowing it from Princeton, a national power at the time. The Princeton players wore orange and black stripes on their socks to contrast with rivals Harvard, which wore crimson, and Yale, which wore blue.