Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. For a time, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) grouped Spartanburg and Union counties together as the Spartanburg, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, but the OMB now defines the Spartanburg, SC MSA as only Spartanburg County.
The University of South Carolina Upstate is a public university in Spartanburg, South Carolina. 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, master's and doctoral degrees for students in the Upstate and surrounding areas. It is part of the University of South Carolina System and home to approximately 5,200 students and 340 full-time faculty. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) is an athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The 10 member institutions are located in the South Atlantic states of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In addition, seven 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 USC Upstate Spartans' basketball and volleyball teams. It was opened in 1973 and is named for one of the university's founders.
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
Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park is a baseball venue in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It is home to the USC Upstate Spartans baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Big South Conference. It opened on February 1, 2004, when Upstate swept a double header against Tusculum College. The facility has a capacity of 500 spectators.
The USC Upstate Spartans are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Carolina Upstate, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in intercollegiate sports at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Big South Conference since the 2018–19 academic year.
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. 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 in 2007, they have yet to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
A variety of sports are popular in the US state of South Carolina.
The 2013–14 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by 12th year head coach Eddie Payne, played their home games at the G. B. Hodge Center and were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 19–15, 11–7 in A-Sun play to finish in third place. They advanced to the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun tournament where they lost to Mercer. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they lost in the first round to Towson.
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.
Chad Nicholas Sobotka is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves.
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 2021–22 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by fourth-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. With the reintroduction of divisions for the first time since the 2013–14 season, the Spartans play in the South Division.
The 2022–23 USC Upstate Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by fifth-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 15–14, 10–8 in Big South play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place. They defeated Gardner–Webb in the quarterfinals of the Big South tournament before losing the semifinals to UNC Asheville. The Spartans were invited to the CBI, where they were defeated in the first round by Indiana State.
The 2023–24 USC Upstate Spartans women's basketball team represented the University of South Carolina Upstate during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Spartans, led by second-year head coach Jason Williams, played their home games at the G. B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina as members of the Big South Conference.
2024 USC Upstate Spartans baseball team 