South Carolina Gamecocks
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| South Carolina Gamecocks | |
 |
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| University | University of South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Eric Hyman |
| Location | Columbia, SC |
| Varsity Teams | 18 |
| Stadium | Williams-Brice Stadium |
| Arena | Colonial Center |
| Mascot | Cocky |
| Nickname | Gamecocks |
| Fight Song | |
| Colors | Garnet and Black
|
| Homepage | www.uscsports.com |
The University of South Carolina's 18 varsity sports teams are known as the Gamecocks. While the men have traditionally been the Fighting Gamecocks and the women were previously the Lady Gamecocks, this distinction was discontinued.
All of the University's varsity teams compete at the Division I level of the NCAA, and all but men's soccer compete in the Southeastern Conference.[1] Men's soccer competes in Conference USA because the SEC does not sponsor men's soccer.
The official school colors are garnet and black. However, some officially licensed merchandise also contain gold, which represents the spurs historically worn by gamecocks in cockfights.
Although the University's varsity teams have won only a few national titles, many league championships and tournament titles have been won over the years, giving fans a taste of success that keeps them clamoring for more.
Tim Brando of CBS Sports has said, "You won't find any more loyal fans in the country than those who follow the South Carolina Gamecocks." [2]
Contents |
[edit] Varsity Sports
| Sport | Coach (since) | Facility | Titles [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | Ray Tanner (1997) | Sarge Frye Field | SEC East: 4 (2003, 02, 00, 1999) SEC Regular Season: 2 (2002,00) SEC Tournament: 1 (2004) NCAA Tournament: 22 appearances NCAA Runner-Up: 3 (2002, 1977, 1975) [4] |
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| Basketball | Men's | Dave Odom (2001) | Colonial Center | Southern Conference Tournament: 1 (1933) ACC Tournament: 1 (1971) SEC East: 1 (1997) SEC Regular Season: 1 (1997) SEC Tournament Runner-Up: 2 (2006, 1998) NIT Championships: 2 (2006, 05) NCAA Tournament: 8 appearances |
| Women's | Susan Walvius (1997) | Colonial Center | NWIT Tournament: 1 (1979) Metro Conference Regular Season: 5 (1991, 90, 89, 88, 86) Metro Conference Tournament: 3 (1989, 88, 86) NCAA Tournament: 8 appearances |
|
| Women's Cross Country | Stan Rosenthal (2001) | Metro Conference: 3 (1991, 90, 89) | ||
| Women's Equestrian | Boo Duncan (1998) | One Wood Farm | National Champions: 1 (2005) Hunt Seat National Champions: 2 (2006, 05) |
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| Football | Steve Spurrier (2004) | Williams-Brice Stadium | ACC Championship: 1 (1969) Bowl Record: 4W-9L |
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| Golf | Men's | Puggy Blackmon (1995) | The University Club | ACC: 1 (1964) Metro Conference: 1 (1991) NCAA Tournament: 18 appearances |
| Women's | Kristi Coggins (1994) | The University Club | Metro Conference: 1 (1990) SEC: 1 (2002) NCAA Tournament: 14 appearances |
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| Soccer | Men's | Mark Berson (1978) | Eugene E. Stone III Stadium | Metro Conference: 1 (1993) Conference USA Tournament: 1 (2005) NCAA Tournament: 17 appearances NCAA Runner-Up: 1 (1993) [5] |
| Women's | Shelley Smith (2001) | Eugene E. Stone III Stadium | NCAA Tournament: 1 appearance | |
| Softball | Joyce Compton (1987) | Beckham Field | SEC Tournament: 2 (2000, 1997) SEC Regular Season: 1 (1997) SEC East: 4 (2002, 01, 1999, 97) NCAA Tournament: 14 appearances |
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| Swimming & Diving | Men's | Don Gibb (1999) | The Carolina Natatorium | Metro Conference: 8 (1984, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91) |
| Women's | Don Gibb (1999) | The Carolina Natatorium | Metro Conference: 6 (1984, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90) NIC: 4 (1986, 87, 88, 89) |
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| Tennis | Men's | Kent DeMars (1984) | Sam Daniel Tennis Center | ACC Regular Season: 1 (1968) ACC Tournament: 1 (1968) Metro Tournament: 6 (1991, 90, 89, 87, 86, 85) NCAA Tournament: 18 appearances |
| Women's | Arlo Elkins (1984) | Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center | Metro Conference Tournament: 5 (1990, 88, 87, 86, 85) NCAA Tournament: 16 appearances |
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| Track and Field | Men's | Curtis Frye (1996) | Weems Baskin Track Facility | NCAA Tournament: 12 appearances (indoor), 12 appearances (outdoor) NCAA Individual Champions: Many Olympic Medalists: Many World Championship Medalists: Many |
| Women's | Curtis Frye (1996) | Weems Baskin Track Facility | SEC: 3 (2005, 02, 1999) NCAA Tournament: 11 appearances (indoor), 12 appearances (outdoor) NCAA Championship: 1 (2002) NCAA Individual Champions: Many Olympic Medalists: Many World Championship Medalists: Many |
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| Women's Volleyball | Nancy Somera (2005) | Volleyball Competition Facility | NCAA Tournament: 7 appearances | |
[edit] Conference History
The University of South Carolina was a member of the Southern Conference for men's basketball and football from 1922 until it became a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953. The Gamecocks, however, left the ACC in 1971 after many disputes over the ACC's recruiting regulations and the political dominance of the conference's four North Carolina schools. USC then competed as an independent until 1983 when it joined the Metro Conference for all sports except football and men's soccer. In 1991, the Gamecocks joined the Southeastern Conference when it increased its membership to 12 schools and split into two divisions, adding the University of Arkansas to its Western Division and the University of South Carolina to its Eastern Division. Men's soccer continued to compete as an independent since the SEC does not sponsor men's soccer, but joined the Metro Conference for the 1993 and 1994 seasons and has competed in Conference USA since 2005. [6]
[edit] Carolina-Clemson Rivalry
[edit] SEC Rivalries
Carolina's main rival in the SEC is the University of Georgia due to its proximity and the many years of competing against each other before the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1991. Subsequently, USC has developed rivalries with the other members of the Eastern Division, which many experts regard as the most competitive division in all of college sports. However, the University of Florida has the potential to become the biggest rival of them all. First, Carolina hired former Gator football coach, Steve Spurrier, and then beat the Gators 30-22 in their first meeting with Spurrier at the helm, which knocked the Gators out of contention for the SEC East title. Shortly thereafter, the Gamecocks swept the eventual national champion Gators during the regular season of men's basketball. In 2006 the football squad lost by one point to the Gators in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ http://uscsports.cstv.com/trads/scar-history.html
- ^ http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/scar/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/05mg1-recruiting1.pdf, p. 17
- ^ http://uscsports.cstv.com/trads/scar-history.html
- ^ http://www.cwsomaha.com/html/about/champions.asp
- ^ NCAA soccer records, p. 132
- ^ http://uscsports.cstv.com/trads/scar-history.html
| Southeastern Conference |
|---|
| Eastern Division: Florida • Georgia • Kentucky • South Carolina • Tennessee • Vanderbilt Western Division: Alabama • Arkansas • Auburn • LSU • Mississippi • Mississippi State |
