Days After Being Jilted by Its First Choice, Clemson Taps New Leader

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

by WILL FOLKS

***

Days after being jilted by Michigan State University (MSU) president Kevin Guskiewicz, the board of trustees at beleaguered Clemson University has announced its second choice to replace outgoing, scandal-scarred president James Clements.

According to a news release from the school, Clemson has chosen Benjamin C. Ayers – currently the provost at the University of Georgia – to become the school’s sixteenth president. Ayers is a “nationally respected academic leader, accomplished administrator and award-winning educator,” according to the release.

Prior to serving as Georgia’s provost, Ayers led its Terry College of Business for eleven years and led its school of accounting for nine years. He has an undergraduate degree in accounting from Alabama, a master’s degree in taxation from Alabama and a doctorate in accounting from Texas.

Ayers will assume his new position at the school on August 1, 2026.

***

Ayers said he was “humbled by the opportunity to join the Clemson Family,” and that he looked forward to “working alongside our students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters to build upon the strong foundation and shape an even brighter future together.” 

Given Clemson’s deteriorating financial position, Ayers will have his work cut out for him. As our media outlet reported extensively back in May, Clemson’s budgeted operating expenses for the 2027 fiscal year are currently 8% higher than actual expenses for the current year.

“After several years of expense management, expense and revenue growth remain mismatched,” Clemson’s chief financial officer, Rick Petillo, told trustees two months ago. “Expense growth outpacing revenue growth is not sustainable.”

While it shouldn’t take someone with three financial degrees to figure that out, hopefully Ayers accounting background will assist him in getting a handle on Clemson’s ongoing expense issues.

***

RELATED | CODE ORANGE

***

Guskiewicz was the candidate Clemson first selected to right the ship, with trustees hailing him as a leader who would implement a “student-focused vision centered on access, workforce readiness and public impact.”

Clemson tapped Guskiewicz as its 16th president on May 27, 2026. He was supposed to have assumed that role on July 1, but a terse statement issued by the school on Monday (July 6, 2026) indicated the woke higher educrat had “chosen to remain at Michigan State University for personal reasons.”

Guskiewicz agreed to a five-year deal that would have paid him $1.216 million annually from Clemson’s foundation. Palmetto State taxpayers would have picked up another sizable chunk of his compensation.

No immediate word was available as to Ayers’ expected compensation, although Clemson indicated “additional information regarding Ayers’ transition to Clemson University and opportunities for the Clemson community to welcome him to campus will be shared in the coming weeks.”

Clements resigned last December amid Clemson’s worsening financial woes and escalating criticism of his proximity to several insider land deals. High-profile Clemson trustee (and former U.S. ambassador) Nikki Haley was also caught up in that scandal, although she has

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

***

SOUND OFF…

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.