CLEMSON — For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Carolina Panthers are returning to Clemson.

The Panthers are holding their annual fan fest Thursday at Memorial Stadium, where they played their home games during their inaugural season in 1995. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. ET and practice starts at 6:30. Admission is $5.

The event will also mark the return of Carolina Panthers president Kristi Coleman, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 2006 and received her master's degree in professional accountancy in 2007 from Clemson.

"It's a full circle moment for me. I'm so excited to go back," said Coleman, who became the team's first female president in 2022. "Anytime you can step foot on campus is an exciting time, but then to also have our beloved Panthers there too, is the cherry on top."

Coleman, a Georgia native who moved to South Carolina when she was 9 and grew up near Lake Hartwell, lived for Saturdays at Memorial Stadium. She remembers attending games with her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and watching packed-out football games on "the Hill" and in the stands.

Some of Coleman's favorite memories of Clemson football was the Tigers defeating rival South Carolina four of five times from 2003-07, including a 29-7 victory in 2004 at Memorial Stadium. Another was watching the No. 12-ranked Tigers wear their purple jersey and pants combination for the first time since 1939 and defeating No. 13 Georgia Tech 31-7 on a Saturday night in 2006.

Not only was it a massive win for Clemson with ESPN's "College GameDay" in attendance for the first time, but it gave Coleman bragging rights over some of her family members who were Yellow Jacket fans.

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"Football season was what we looked forward to," Coleman said. "... Going to the games, being a part of something, feeling like you're in it, (Memorial Stadium is) a magical place."

Now, the Panthers will return to this special venue Thursday. Fan fest attendees can watch the Panthers' open practice, buy team merchandise, enjoy a fireworks show and see franchise legends Jonathan Stewart, Thomas Davis and Muhsin Muhammad.

The Panthers are giving two tickets to this year's Super Bowl to one random fan and are hosting a kids combine on the Littlejohn Coliseum lawn ahead of the event from 4:30-6:00 p.m. as the franchise celebrates its 30th season.

"It's great that Clemson allowed us to come in, and it's really great that they're allowing us to come now," Coleman said. "So, really us going to Clemson for Fan Fest is taking it back (and) is a nod to our 30th season."

Thursday's fan fest is one of 15 open practices that the Panthers are hosting this season, and the only one held in South Carolina. The Panthers moved their training camp from Wofford College in Spartanburg to Charlotte this season, ending the franchise's tradition that was in place since the team's inception (except for the 2020 COVID season).

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Carolina Panthers in Clemson for first time since 1995 for fan fest