The USC board of trustees met on Aug. 21 to hear updates on USC’s Master Plan, athletics updates and approve a 2028 fiscal budget.
Several development projects were announced, including future redevelopment of the Byrnes Block and a progress update on the Williams-Brice Stadium renovations.
Master Plan projects
University Architect Derek Gruner presented to the board, sharing updates on USC’s Master Plan.
McBryde Residence Hall has been completely demolished, and Gruner said the project is on schedule to open in fall 2028. The redevelopment of McBryde and a new wing of the Honors Residence Hall are projected to cost $185 million and will house over 1,000 students when complete.
Gruner said Capstone will be the next residence hall to undergo renovations, but they won’t start until the Sumter Street housing projects are finished.
“Everything is timed to follow one another, so we never have too many beds offline at once,” Gruner said. “It’s all very systematic, thoughtful.”
Bates House and Bates West will undergo electrical rewiring, and the university expects to keep both residence halls in use for at least six more years, Gruner said.
The first phase of the Williams-Brice Stadium renovations is complete,Gruner said. Much of the work in the first phase focused on making high-traffic areas for fans, like restrooms, concessions and ramps easier to navigate, Gruner said. Luxury clubs and suites, including air-conditioned space for students, will be added in the next two phases.
The Byrnes block, located west of the Horseshoe is also slated for redevelopment, Gruner said. The Byrnes Building, which houses the university bookstore, as well as local businesses Cool Beans Coffee Company and College Grounds Cafe, will be demolished for redevelopment.
According to university spokesperson Jeff Stensland, the university foundation has been in talks with the owners of Cool Beans and College Grounds about potential opportunities to reopen on Byrnes block once development is finished.
“A lot of what we’ve envisioned as part of this master plan is the need for additional retail,” Stensland said. “So even where there are buildings where it might be housing or academic in nature, on the first floor, we’re going to have as much retail as possible to serve not just the students, but also people in the community.”
Current renderings show mixed-use development of the block, including student and market-rate housing, parking, retail, and potential for administrative or academic spaces, according to Gruner’s presentation.
Gruner also shared an update on the Health Sciences Campus, where the School of Medicine building is scheduled to be completed by fall 2027.
“When you step on this site … you can almost feel that the project has a pulse,” Gruner said. “You get a sense to what the learning environments are going to be like, and the conference spaces and the simulation spaces. It’s coming together, frankly, magnificently.”
A plan to renovate the ROTC building is also underway. The building would be named after former Sen. Lindsey Graham, and the university could receive up to $60 million in federal funding for the project.
As renovations in the campus’ historic buildings continue, some student services will be relocated. Most notably, the Student Success Center in Thomas Cooper Library will move to the Science and Technology Building, according to Gruner.
The university plans to undertake two property acquisitions from the City of Columbia, Gruner said. One acquisition would include the land Colonial Life Arena sits on, two commuter parking lots near the arena, and two one-acre parcels of land on College Street. The other is a four-acre lot near Founders Park.
Gruner presented plans to build a neurological hospital on the health sciences campus and a STEM building on the corner of Main and Greene Streets.
Athletics updates
USC Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati presented to the board, sharing updates on a change to football coach Shane Beamer’s contract and announcing university support for the Protect College Sports Act.
Instead of paying Beamer’s salary directly to him, it will now be paid to an LLC Beamer founded. This will alleviate the university from paying certain taxes on Beamer’s salary, Donati said.
Neither Beamer’s salary nor the length of his contract were altered by this change, Donati said.
Donati also gave his support to the federal, bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. The bill would prevent schools from blocking student-athletes entering into name, image and likeness contracts, and increase revenue sharing between schools and athletes.
“As written, the bill presents a better future than what we’re living in today,” Donati said. “We’d like to see it pass.”
Other actions
The board honored member and former Chair C. Dorn Smith III, whose board term ends this year, with a distinction for his service to the board and university. Chair Thad Westbrook recognized Smith as Distinguished Chair Emeritus.
Westbrook’s term as chair also ended, and Vice Chair Rose Buyck Newton was elected as the new permanent chair. Board member Reid Sherard was elected as the next vice chair. Westbrook addressed the board with a reminder of their mission before the election.
“If we continue to focus on our mission, continue to focus on alignment and continue to be ambitious, we as the current board can only imagine what the university will look like in the next four to five years, or even the next 225 years,” Westbrook said. “I truly believe USC’s best days are ahead of us.”
The board also approved a budget request for the 2028 fiscal year and reviewed the 2027 budget.
Two faculty members received tenure, Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing Associate Professor Xuewei Wang and Arnold School of Public Health Associate Professor Joel Williams.
The board of trustees will hold their next meeting on Sept. 24 at the Pastides Alumni Center.