In the late 1960s, Clemson officials recognized the need for a unique athletic logo to distinguish themselves from the numerous colleges with tiger mascots. They hired an advertising agency tasked with creating a fresh image.

The winning design, presented in 1970, wasn't a roaring tiger as expected, but a powerful image of a tiger's paw print. The designer obtained a cast of a real tiger paw from a museum and tilted it slightly, supposedly to reflect the sun at a typical 1 pm kickoff time (though some say it was the natural angle of the paw print).

This unique logo, the Tiger Paw, quickly captured the hearts of Clemson fans and became a symbol of school spirit. It's become so popular that it's not just used in athletics, but across the entire university.