Miles Thomas has watched every Clemson game for the last 10 years at the same uptown New Orleans bar -- always with a seat near the shuffleboard table so he can better see the TV -- but that could change Jan. 1.
The Tigers' rare Sugar Bowl trip not only will bring tens of thousands of fans to the city, but it also will give a small band of local followers something it has longed for.
"I'm excited to have everybody coming to town," said Thomas, 39, a New Orleans attorney and founder of the local Clemson Club alumni group, which has about 300 members.