[Assistant Editor’s note: The following article features Benjamin C. Ayers (Alpha Phi/Alabama 1987). It was written by Senior Writer David Hood and originally appeared on TigerNet.]
CLEMSON – The Clemson University Board of Trustees Compensation Committee on Thursday morning selected University of Georgia Provost Benjamin Ayers as the institution’s next president, turning to one of higher education’s most respected academic leaders after an unexpected twist in the search process.
Ayers will begin his tenure August 1.
Ayers emerged as Clemson’s choice after Kevin Guskiewicz, the president of Michigan State University who had previously accepted Clemson’s offer to become the university’s 16th president, reversed course and decided to remain in East Lansing. Guskiewicz had been approved by Clemson trustees in May and was expected to succeed longtime president Jim Clements, who retired at the end of 2025 after 12 years leading the university.
Clemson seeks to complete a presidential search that began following Clements’ retirement announcement last December. Clemson trustees launched the search and appointed former provost Robert “Bob” Jones as interim president beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
Ayers currently serves as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Georgia, where he oversees the university’s academic enterprise, including its colleges, schools, research initiatives and faculty development efforts. He has played a key role in UGA’s rise as one of the nation’s leading public research universities and is widely regarded as an advocate for student success, research growth and public-service missions.
Ayers would become Clemson’s 16th president, succeeding Clements, whose tenure from 2013-25 coincided with growth across the university and national prominence in athletics. Under Clements, Clemson recorded multiple College Football Playoff appearances, national championships in football and men’s soccer, record fundraising totals and the launch of several major academic initiatives.
The search process took an unexpected turn when Guskiewicz, who had served as president of Michigan State since 2024 and previously led the University of North Carolina, informed Clemson officials he would remain at Michigan State despite having accepted Clemson’s offer. Guskiewicz had been unanimously approved by Clemson trustees in May and was introduced as the university’s next leader.
Rather than restarting the search entirely, trustees moved quickly to identify an alternative candidate from the existing pool, ultimately picking Ayers.
Supporters of the selection point to Ayers’ experience at a flagship land-grant institution that shares many characteristics with Clemson, including a strong commitment to research, extension and student engagement. His background also includes extensive work in strategic planning, academic administration and faculty advancement.
Clemson officials have said throughout the process that they were seeking a leader capable of guiding the university through a rapidly changing higher education landscape while preserving the institution’s culture and traditions.
Ayers is set to inherit a university that remains one of the nation’s fastest-rising public institutions and one that is attempting to balance academic growth, research expansion and athletic competitiveness in an increasingly complex environment.
For Clemson, Thursday’s decision marks the end of a search that included a surprising detour but ultimately produced a new leader to guide the university into its next chapter.