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Clemson Soccer National Champions Visit White House

The Clemson Tigers men’s soccer team visited the White House on Monday along with other NCAA champions.

Matt Postins

Clemson men's soccer head coach Mike Noonan speaks in the Smart Family Media Center at the Smart Family Media Center at the Poe Indoor Practice Facility in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
Clemson men's soccer head coach Mike Noonan speaks in the Smart Family Media Center at the Smart Family Media Center at the Poe Indoor Practice Facility in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, November 14, 2023. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers men’s soccer team attended College Champions Day at the White House on Monday, a reward for winning their title last year.

College Champions Day is an invitation extended to all NCAA teams that win a national championship in the previous athletic year, in this case 2023-24. Starting in 2023, the invitation was extended to national championsh in all three divisions.

So, Clemson mingled with championships teams from programs from Colorado’s co-ed skiing team to Division II Harding and Division III Trine, among others.

Clemson won its fourth national championship, beating Notre Dame, 2-1. Ousmane Sylla was named the Offensive MVP of the College Cup. Sylla was also a part of Clemson’s 2021 national championship team, which beat Washington, 2-0.

Many of the Tigers players, along with coach Mike Noonan, made the trip to Washington, D.C., and naturally they documented their day on social media through the team’s X (formerly Twitter) account.

Clemson and the other schools received a tour of the White House, which began in the Entrance Hall and included a walk through the State Dining Room, the Red Room, the Blue Room, the Green Room and finally the East Room on the main level.

After that, the tour moved downstairs to the White House Library, the China Room and the Vermell Room.

After passing through the East Colonnade, the tour concluded on the South Lawn, where there was a volleyball net and cornhole before the speeches began.

NCAA Senior Vice President of Championships Lynda Taeler and Vice President Kamala Harris both spoke at the event.

The Tigers are putting last season in their rear view as they are less than a month away from starting their exhibition games in preparation for their title defense.

The Tigers will play three preseason exhibition games. The first will be in Charlotte as Clemson faces the 49ers on Aug. 10. Then, the Tigers play two exhibition games at home — against Mobile on Aug. 13 and against Georgia State on Aug. 17.

After five days off the Tigers host Penn State to open the regular season. That is followed by the Palmetto Classic at South Carolina on Aug. 30.

Noonan is starting the season with a contract extension that takes him through 2023 and was recently approved by the school’s Board of Trustees. He has led the Tigers to two of their four national crows and is only the third Clemson coach in history with multiple national championships.

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Matt Postins
MATT POSTINS

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