Clemson University Board of Trustees President Kim Wilkerson alluded to Guskiewicz without naming him during a Zoom meeting on Thursday morning.

"One of the truest tests in life is knowing with total clarity where you belong, and when it does, that clarity deserves respect," Wilkerson said. "We have watched that kind of clarity play out over the past several days. That is exactly what a search process of this rigor should surface." 

Clemson has been conducting its presidential search after their president announced his retirement in December. Clemson trustee Cheri Phyfer, who chaired the presidential search committee, clarified that the university did not begin a new search to hire Ayers, but continued the previous search that led them to Guskiewicz.

While Clemson has described its presidential search as a thorough national process, much of the search remained confidential. The university did not publicly identify finalists for the position before selecting Ayers. 

This continues a broader trend among South Carolina universities toward closed presidential searches that critics say limits public scrutiny of how leaders are chosen.

Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, public institutions must disclose materials related to "not fewer than three" finalists for a position. The law does not specify when public schools or governing agencies have to release that information, however.

Guskiewicz initially announced his departure from MSU on May 27, before reversing course on July 6. 

"This is an exciting day for me and my family, I'm deeply honored and incredibly grateful to accept the offer to serve as Clemson's 16th president," said Guskiewicz at a Clemson board meeting in May, sporting an orange tie.

Clemson did not divulge what other candidates they had reviewed, reflecting the confidential nature of the university’s presidential search process, at the May 27 meeting. 

Ayers is set to start as Clemson's president on August 1, 2026. Guskiewicz never announced a start date at Clemson, but said he wanted to be there "sometime in August" when he was appointed in May.

Guskiewicz told The State News on Tuesday, the day after he announced that would continue as MSU's president, that he began exploring leaving MSU in March.

In a community letter sent on July 6, Guskiewicz said he had experienced "a period of deep personal reflection" before making the decision to stay. 

Athletic Director J Batt was hired at the University of Kentucky for the same position shortly after Guskiewicz announced his then-new role at Clemson. It is unclear when Batt’s last day at MSU will be.