June 12, 2009
Dear Gamecock Fans:
On Thursday, the 2009-10 athletics budget was presented to the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee of the University’s Board of Trustees. As part of that presentation, we announced that the YES (Yearly Equitable Seating) plan has raised $6.3 million – $2.3 million more than what was projected.
The dollars raised through the YES program, along with philanthropic gifts and money guaranteed through the new television agreement, are what allow us to bring our facilities up to the standards of our SEC rivals.
The money generated has helped build the Carolina Stadium, one of the finest collegiate baseball facilities in the country, the “Dodie” Athletics Enrichment Center, which will be completed by the end of the year, and the newly renovated athletics training room, recruiting room, locker room and entryway at Williams-Brice Stadium. It also gave us the resources to purchase the Farmer’s Market, which will be converted into a football parking lot and tailgate area for our fans. In the future, the money generated from these same sources will pay for the coaches’ support building, the parking garage, the tennis courts, and softball and track renovations at the Athletics Village, as well as further improvements to Williams-Brice Stadium.
The YES program has also created a tremendous window of opportunity for those Gamecock fans who had previously been shut out from purchasing football season tickets. Based on our studies of other schools that went through a similar process, we anticipated a reduction in the sale of football season tickets, one that normally takes a couple of years to recoup. Recent University of South Carolina graduates now have access to football season tickets that previously would not have been available. It’s a great time for newer fans to get on board.
Our departmental goals remain the same – to have a nationally prominent athletics program that competes for championships. By plowing our money back into our facilities, it can only help our outstanding coaches recruit the best and brightest student-athletes to Columbia and the University of South Carolina. We appreciate and thank every Gamecock fan who is helping us reach our goals by contributing to the YES initiative.
On another note, congratulations are in order to our student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff who contributed to another excellent semester in the classroom. A record 15 of 17 teams topped a 3.0 grade point average for Spring 2009, which is an accomplishment in which all Gamecock fans can take great pride.
Go Gamecocks!
Eric
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
