Creggers Continue to Show Commitment to Education and the Gamecocks
Sheila and Morris Cregger have certainly made a name for themselves when it comes to their generosity towards South Carolina Athletics, which is evident by their naming donation for the Cregger Athletics Village. However, they don’t do it for the recognition.
“We’ve been supporting the Gamecocks for 40 years,” Sheila said. “We love this school. We love the coaches. We love the atmosphere, and we love the student-athletes. We feel like education is extremely important. A lot of these athletes would not be able to go to college if it weren’t for athletics.
“We try to give back because we have been very fortunate.”
“We learn so much about life through athletics.”
– Morris Cregger
The Creggers have been Gamecock Club members for 24 years and are members of the Dodie Anderson Society. Morris was an outstanding basketball student-athlete at Roanoke College in Virginia in the 1960s and still ranks as the school’s second leading scorer, all time. Sheila is a 1978 graduate of South Carolina.
“Without athletics, I don’t think I would be where I am today,” Morris said. “We learn so much about life through athletics. I always felt that we had somewhat of an obligation because of how we’ve benefitted from that over the years.”
The Cregger Athletics Village is home to the Rice Athletics Center and the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center, and it’s also where you’ll find many of the Gamecock Athletics facilities, including the Cregger Outdoor Track and Field facility, Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field, Wheeler Beach Beach Volleyball facility, Carolina Tennis Center, Stone Stadium, and the new indoor track and field facility.
The Creggers have shown their support for South Carolina Athletics in many ways, including the donation of funds for the renovation of South Carolina’s outdoor track and field facility, which now bears their name, as well as the endowment of two women’s basketball scholarships over the last three years in honor of Aleighsa Welch (2011-2015) and A’ja Wilson (2014-18).
“I think it’s important for all of the athletes to know that they’re appreciated,” Sheila said. “You talk about your track athletes, your swimmers, softball, baseball; they all work just as hard as their counter parts in football and basketball, but yet don’t often get some of the recognition. We love all the sports and enjoy all the sports and watching all the athletes.”
“I get more enjoyment out of seeing the athletes themselves and mingling with them and talking with them,” Morris said. “We do have a great staff. We think the world of everybody involved here. They’ve always been very considerate of us. We’re pleased where the University is, and I think it will continue to compete. It means a lot to the people who support the Gamecocks.”
South Carolina has transformed all of its athletics facilities for every sport as well as administrative buildings in recent years to help provide what Athletics Director Ray Tanner calls a “championship experience” for every phase of their time on campus.
