From the Desk of Ray Tanner
Jan. 5, 2017 Ray Tanner
Athletics Director
University of South Carolina
Happy New Year Gamecocks! I hope that 2017 will bring you great joy, great health and plenty of wins. As we finish the Fall 2016 season and enter Spring 2017, I want to update you on what is going on with Carolina Athletics.
The 2016 football season set the table for future success in our program. The team fought hard all year long, resulting in another bowl game appearance. We had a very young team in ’16 with great leadership from our senior class. No SEC team had more input from its freshmen class than we did this season, with seven true freshmen starting, which was tied for most in the country. Coach Muschamp’s energy and passion are infectious. We have a lot to look forward to in the coming years under his leadership.
A special note of thanks goes to those fans who made the trip to Birmingham to support the Gamecocks in our bowl game.
We have a lot to offer our student-athletes. The Gamecock Student-Athlete Promise outlines a program that provides our student-athletes with the finest combination of development, academic advisement, physical and mental well-being and coaching of any program in the nation.
We set out developing The Promise using the mission of Gamecock Athletics, giving our student-athletes “a championship experience” while wearing the Garnet and Black. With the principles of hard work, dedication and commitment, there is no doubt that we will be competing for championships in the near future.
The building of our program continues full steam ahead with the Gamecock Football Operations Center. The Football Operations Center will provide our football program with a recruiting center, locker room, weight room, athletic training room, coaches’ offices, meeting rooms, dining room, equipment room and player lounges; all in one convenient location. 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.
The operations center will be constructed alongside the new Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Football Practice Facility and the new outdoor practice fields.
Our fundraising efforts continue for the Football Operations Center. Donors have given more than $16 million to this transformational facility. Go to ExpandingOurVision.com/Football to learn more about this important project.
We are constantly reviewing what we offer our student-athletes and are always looking at ways to improve our athletics program.
Coach Staley’s women’s basketball program is competing for a national championship again this season. During the non-conference portion of her schedule, we have already defeated the #6th-ranked and #14th-ranked teams (on their home floor), the #4th-ranked team on a neutral floor and the #9th-ranked team at Colonial Life Arena and we’ve already started conference play 1-0.
Coach Martin’s men’s basketball squad has opened the season strong with an 11-3 start, including a big road win against Georgia Wednesday night. There isn’t a team in the nation that plays better defense than ours. A strong showing during the SEC schedule will keep us in the mix for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Our basketball fans, men’s and women’s, have been tremendous in their support of our teams. I look forward to seeing you at Colonial Life Arena as we move into SEC action.
The success of our soccer programs in the fall has set the stage for what I believe will be a great season for our spring sports. Last year, we had the best finish in the Learfield Director’s Cup Standings since 2002-03. I believe we can surpass that this season.
We are also engaged in the Palmetto Series against our in-state rivals. Last year, we took the initial Palmetto Series title, 10-5. It’s close this year, but there are still points to be won.
These are great competitions that showcases overall athletic success. Our goal is to compete for championships in every sport we sponsor.
We continue to enhance our efforts to compete in all of our sports with the recent additions of the soccer facility, the golf practice facility and the Cregger Track.
Please note, we are hosting the 2017 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Cregger Track on May 11-13. I look forward to seeing you there.
I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of all of our student-athletes. We consistently lead the conference in SEC Academic Honor Roll and community service hours. In the Fall 2016 Semester, our student-athletes had a cumulative 3.245 GPA. Great work by our student-athletes!
We compete relentlessly for championships with integrity, character and passion. We like to say that our student-athletes have a “championship experience” during their time at South Carolina. The coaching and development, the skills and training are the best in the nation. The lessons learned come in a multitude of ways, some more high profile than others. Every decision, every policy, every rule is put in place to help our student-athletes learn and be a better person when their eligibility is complete.
I appreciate your support of our program. To be a part of our program, please join the Gamecock Club. All of our coaches, staff and student-athletes appreciate our more than 17,000 members. January 31 is the deadline to renew your membership.
It’s Great to be a Gamecock!
