The University of South Carolina Upstate is a public university in Valley Falls, South Carolina, near Spartanburg and with a Spartanburg postal address. Founded in 1967 and formerly known as University of South Carolina Spartanburg, the institution changed its name in the summer of 2004. It offers bachelor's and master's degrees for students in the Upstate and surrounding areas. It is part of the University of South Carolina System and home to approximately 6,000 students and 340 full-time faculty. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level. The ten member institutions are located in the South Atlantic states of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In addition, five affiliate members participate in one sport each; namely sports not sponsored by their home conferences.
G. B. Hodge Center is an 878-seat multi-purpose arena in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It is home to the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans basketball and volleyball teams. It was opened in 1973 and is named for one of the University's founders.
Spartanburg Methodist College is a private Methodist college in Saxon, South Carolina, with a Spartanburg postal address. The college serves approximately 1,000 students. The college awards six associate degrees, a unique customizable bachelor’s degree with six concentrations, a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and nine 100% online associate and bachelor’s degree programs.
Founders Park, formerly known as Carolina Stadium, is a stadium in Columbia, South Carolina on the banks of the Congaree River. The facility was built for a cost of $35.6 million and is used for college baseball as home to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team.
Edward G. Payne was an American college basketball coach and the head men's basketball coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Payne led the USC Upstate Spartans through their first season of Division I competition in 2007–2008. In 2012, he was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year. Prior to arriving at USC Upstate, Payne was a Div I head coach at Oregon State University and East Carolina University. Payne's son, Luke, was one of his assistant coaches at USC Upstate from 2012 to 2015. Payne announced his retirement from USC Upstate on October 3, 2017, citing complications from ankle surgeries in the off-season. He died in 2021, due to complications of a stroke at the age of 69
The 2008 NCAA Division I baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began on February 22, 2008. The season was the first to have a uniform start date for both southern and northern teams. The change from previous seasons, in which weather allowed southern teams to begin play weeks before northern teams, was an attempt to improve parity between warm-weather and cold-weather teams. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and 2008 College World Series. The College World Series, which consisted of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament, was held in its annual location of Omaha, Nebraska at Rosenblatt Stadium. It concluded on June 25, 2008, with the final game of the best of three championship series. Fresno State defeated Georgia two games to one to claim their first championship. Fresno State was the first team seeded fourth in its regional tournament to win a national championship since the NCAA Tournament adopted the current 64-team format in 1999.
The USC Upstate Spartans are the seventeen sports teams representing the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina in intercollegiate athletics. The Spartans compete in the NCAA Division I and are members of the Big South Conference since 2018. Their mascot is Sparty the Spartan
The USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The school's team formerly competed in the ASUN Conference, but moved to the Big South Conference in 2018–19. They are currently led by Head Coach Dave Dickerson and play their home games at the G. B. Hodge Center. During their time as a member of the NAIA, they were national champions in 1982. Since their move to Division I, they have yet to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. On November 21, 2015, the team was upset by NCCAA DII member Bob Jones University Bruins by a score of 83–79.
Although there are no major league professional franchises based in South Carolina, the state does have numerous minor league teams. The Carolina Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes major league pro teams representing both North Carolina and South Carolina, are based in neighboring North Carolina. The Carolina Panthers, the professional American football team of the National Football League based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has training facilities in Rock Hill, South Carolina. College teams throughout the state represent their particular South Carolina institution, along with the state being a prime destination for golf and water sports.
The USC Upstate Spartans baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The team is a member of the Big South Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The team plays its home games at Harley Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Spartans are coached by Mike McGuire.
Mike McGuire in an American college baseball coach and former catcher. He is the head baseball coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate. McGuire played college baseball at the University of Akron from 1990 to 1991 and the University of South Carolina from 1992 to 1993 and played professionally in the Frontier League from 1993 to 1994. He served as head coach of the Morehead State Eagles baseball program from 2013 season to 2019.
Luke Payne is an American former basketball player and coach. He played both guard positions during his playing days; he was a standout college player for the USC Upstate Spartans before moving to Australia and forging a successful four-year career with the Lakeside Lightning of the State Basketball League (SBL). In 2012, he returned to USC Upstate, joining the Spartans men's basketball team as an assistant coach under his father, Eddie, the head coach.
The 2016–17 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by 15th-year head coach Eddie Payne, played their home games at the G. B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 17–16, 7–7 in ASUN play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They lost in the Quarterfinals of the ASUN Tournament to Kennesaw State. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they lost in the First Round to Furman.
The USC Upstate Spartans women's basketball team, formerly known as the USC Spartanburg Spartans women's basketball team, represents the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big South Conference.
The 2017–18 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by first-year head coach Kyle Perry, played their home games at the G. B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Perry was initially named interim coach upon head coach Eddie Payne's retirement on October 3, 2017 due to health concerns, but had the interim tag removed on October 20 and was named full-time head coach. They finished the season 7–25, 2–12 in ASUN play to finish in last place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the ASUN Tournament to Florida Gulf Coast.
The 2018–19 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by first-year head coach Dave Dickerson, played their home games at the G. B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina as first-year members of the Big South Conference.
The 2019–20 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by second-year head coach Dave Dickerson, played their home games at the G. B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, as members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 13–20, 7–11 in Big South play to finish in a three-way tie for seventh place. They defeated High Point in the first round of the Big South Tournament before losing the quarterfinals to Winthrop.
The 2020–21 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented University of South Carolina Upstate during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by third-year head coach Dave Dickerson, and played their home games at G. B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina as members of the Big South Conference.
The 2021 USC Upstate Spartans baseball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate during the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Spartans played their home games at Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park as a member of the Big South Conference. They were led by head coach Mike McGuire, in his second season at Upstate.
