Without state-of-the-art facilities for both practice and competition, it’s almost impossible for teams to win or see any level of success. If you look around the country in any sport, college teams that are winning championships more likely than not have top athletic facilities.
South Carolina is no exception to this, and thanks to brand new facilities for two sports, those teams are in a better position for success going forward.
Both track and field and football opened new facilities, opening the door for more success for both Gamecock programs.
Track and field presented the new Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex on Heyward Street on the south end of campus on Jan. 18 with the Gamecock Inaugural track meet. The complex was formally the USC Field House, but had been closed since 2016 to make way for a state-of-the-art renovation for the track and field program.
Because of the closure, the Gamecock Inaugural was the first indoor track meet held in Columbia since 2016.
The Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex includes a 200-meter Mondo track, a separate throws area, two pole vault areas, two jumps runways and two high jump areas, according to a press release from the school. In addition, the complex includes an eight-lane 60-meter straight track on the infield.
Track and field head coach Curtis Frye is excited about the team's new home, especially after such a long wait for the facility.
“I’m just glad to be here. I’m glad that, after 22 years, we have one of the world’s best tracks,” Frye told GamecocksOnline.com. “I’m excited that the University of South Carolina is presenting this opportunity, not only to collegiate athletes but also to the kids in the state of South Carolina ... We have a great academic institution here, we have great athletic facilities, and we have an outstanding track.”
The new complex is now the second state-of-the-art facility for the track and field program. The Gamecocks also compete at the Sheila and Morris Cregger Track, which opened in 2016 in The Roost Athletics Village. This track is outdoors with similar amenities that are found in the indoor facility. Cregger Track also hosted the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2017.
With two state-of-the-art facilities, the track and field program is in position to compete at the highest level at both the SEC and national level for years to come.
Track and field is not the only program with a new facility. On Bluff Road across from Williams-Brice Stadium, the South Carolina football team now has a brand new facility of its own.
Shortly after the end of the 2018 football season, the Gamecocks moved into the Cyndi and Kenneth Long Family Football Operations Center, adjacent to the practice fields and Williams-Brice Stadium.
With the new building, the non-game day operations for the football program will be located under one roof for the first time in program history.
In the past, the locker room, weight room, meeting room and coaches’ offices were within Williams-Brice, but in different areas of the stadium. The Gamecocks would practice across the road next to the new building, so players and coaches would have to cross Bluff Road. Since Bluff Road is a busy area with traffic throughout the day, police would normally have to stop traffic to allow the team to cross the street.
With the new building, that will not be an issue. The weight room, locker room, coaches’ offices and meeting room will all be under one roof. Players will also be able to eat their meals and study in the new facility. In addition, there will be places for players to unwind, with amenities such as a barber shop and a recording studio.
Rising senior Gamecock quarterback Jake Bentley is excited to be under one roof in this new state-of-the-art facility.
“Just the better setup of what it’s going to be over there,” Bentley told The Post and Courier. “How our meeting rooms are right close to the coaches’ offices, so it’s easy access just to talk to them. Not have to make those walks across the street ... people honking their horns at us wanting to get to work. Going to be nice.”
Head football coach Will Muschamp echoed similar comments. He has referred to the building as a “game changer” since arriving in Columbia in 2015, and knows that it will be a recruiting asset.
“At the end of the day, a parent or guardian, they want to come on campus and see, ‘What are you going to do for my son?’” Muschamp said to The State. “They see the investment. They see we are serious. They see we are serious about winning a championship. You can’t just talk about it. You have to be about it. That’s what we’ve done with this facility.”
With this new facility, the football program will be in position to compete at the highest level at both the SEC and national level.
Like track and field, having a facility like the Cyndi and Kenneth Long Family Football Operations Center will put the Gamecocks at the top of the list of facilities, which is arguably one of the most important aspects of any athletic program, regardless of sport.