The blood drive is the largest in the state, pitting Clemson against USC to see which school can collect the most donations.

All donors will receive free long-sleeved T-shirts and coupons to local restaurants and businesses.

More than 95,000 pints of blood have been collected by the two schools since the competition began in 1985. Since each pint of blood can potentially save up to three lives, more than 285,000 lives may have been saved by the blood drive competition.

The Clemson-USC Blood Drive began in 1985. AnMed Health Blood Center and the American Red Cross asked the Gamma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega at Clemson University and the Greek Council at the University of South Carolina to start a blood drive to be organized as a competition between their respective institutions. The idea was to create a drive to offset the seasonal blood shortage that occurs during the holiday season. What better service project could be organized by these two chapters than one that would satisfy a desperate need while being energized by the fierce in-state rivalry between the Tigers and Gamecocks? AnMed Health Blood Center would draw blood at Clemson and the American Red Cross would draw blood at USC. The first year of the drive, Clemson was victorious with 747 units collected to USC's 716 units.

(Image provided by Clemson v USC Blood Drive.)

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