sport
Clemson Basketball Team Cuts Barcelona Trip Short After Las Ramblas Incident
The squad stayed safe at its Barcelona hotel but canceled an exhibition game and cut the Spain trip short.
Listen in English · 3 min
How we reported this
Two U.S. college basketball teams, Clemson and Oregon State, were safely residing at a Barcelona hotel near the Las Ramblas van attack site but remained unharmed, with Clemson canceling its exhibition match and returning home early.
The incident on Las Ramblas placed several visiting college programs under immediate scrutiny. At least five U.S. college teams were scheduled to be in Spain for international exhibition tours, including Arizona, which canceled its final game, and Tulane, which confirmed its group safe. Grand Canyon reported it was not in Barcelona during the incident. Clemson and Oregon State stood out because their hotel sat close enough for players to have been dining nearby when the attack struck.
Why the Clemson squad draws attention now
College basketball tours to Barcelona carry built-in visibility when they intersect with citywide events. Clemson’s decision to scrap the game and fly home directly ties the team to the week’s dominant local story. Oregon State is still weighing whether to keep any of its remaining dates. The contrast between the teams’ safety and the attack’s toll keeps Clemson in local sports coverage.
The van attack in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas area resulted in at least 13 deaths and 32 injuries. That scale explains why every touring program’s status reached the front pages of Spanish sports outlets. Clemson’s early departure gives the Tigers the clearest headline link among the five squads.
Local university programs continue regular schedules
The University of Barcelona led the 2025 Catalan University Sport awards with 19 awarded athletes, the highest number among institutions, and swimmer Mireia Pradell Carrasco was named best overall university sportswoman of 2025. Those results came from the 40th Catalan University Championships and covered disciplines from athletics to chess. Separately, the American College of Greece’s Deree Athletics will send 78 student-athletes to represent the school in the 10th World Inter Universities Championships in Barcelona from November 12-16, 2025, competing in basketball, volleyball, soccer, and cheerleading.
Catalan universities maintain structured sports services that include university competitions, elite athlete support programs, and credit recognition for activities. The University of Barcelona has led Catalonia in medals won at Spanish University Championships. These programs operate on fixed calendars that do not shift with short-term visitor disruptions.
Oregon State continues to evaluate the remainder of its Spain itinerary. Clemson has already booked its return flight. Other programs in the country are confirming revised travel plans on a case-by-case basis.