Football Ops Building Named
July 11, 2018
The University of South Carolina’s new football operations building has been officially named the Cyndi and Kenneth Long Family Football Operations Center, it was announced at the school’s Board of Trustees meeting held today.
The facility is named for Kenneth Long, the President of Long’s Drugs, his wife, Cyndi, and their family. Ken is a 1980 graduate of the University’s pharmacy school, while Cyndi is a 1986 USC graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies. Long’s Drugs has held a Gamecock Club membership for 42-consecutive years, and the family has supported numerous Gamecock sports.
“This family has stepped up time and time again to help so many of our programs,” said Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “This is the most ambitious project that we have ever embarked on and it is so exciting for us to forever link their name to this building.”
The 110,000-square foot facility, which is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year, will provide the Gamecocks’ program with a recruiting center, locker room, weight room, athletic training room, coaches’ offices, meeting rooms, dining room, equipment room and player lounges, along with a barbershop and a music recording studio; all in one convenient location. It will be adjacent to the new Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility and outdoor practice fields. With hefty demands on the student-athletes’ time for athletics as well as academics, the Football Operations Center centralizes all football activities to maximize preparations and allows for a more efficient way for student-athletes and coaches to conduct their daily responsibilities.
“Ken and Cyndi are great Gamecocks,” said head football coach Will Muschamp. “We are really excited to have their name on the facility. Having a donor step up and put their name on this facility is huge for us. It sends a message that South Carolina is serious about football and poised to continue our success – that’s important to recruits and the future of this program.”
The athletics’ development team is currently in its 4th-quarter drive initiative to raise $30 million in private donations of the $50 million project. In addition to the gift from the Long’s, the project includes gifts from former student-athletes George Rogers and Andre Goodman, as well as significant contributions from Coach Muschamp and Texans owner Bob McNair.
“We are incredibly fortunate that Ken and Cyndi were willing to make a leadership contribution for this project,” said Steve Eigenbrot, Senior Associate AD/Development and Gamecock Club. “But you don’t raise $30 million for a project without lots of folks stepping up to help. To date, we’ve received over 150 gifts for the project and while we still have over $6 million left to raise for the building, this announcement signifies great momentum and an incredible investment from our fan base.”
