Athletic Venues

The Louis P. Howell Athletic Complex is located in the northern section of the campus and includes the County University Soccer Stadium, Spartanburg County Youth Soccer Fields, Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Stadium, Softball Stadium and Tennis Complex.

With its development, all athletic venues are now housed on campus creating a greater sense of a campus community. The Louis P. Howell Athletic Complex is one of the Southeast’s top sports venues and it also acts as a catalyst for student recruitment and will attract a greater number of students and the public to athletic events.

The County University Soccer Stadium stands as an illustration of the relationship between USC Upstate and the Spartanburg community. Since its opening in 2001, the County University Soccer Stadium has been the site of Peach Belt Conference Tournament games for men’s and women’s soccer and hosted NCAA Tournament games in 2002 and 2003. In addition, the facility, along with the youth soccer fields, have hosted national and regional ODP camps as well as the Canadian Women’s National Team. Recently, the soccer facilities have been the host site for the NSCAA coaching certification clinics.

The County University Soccer Stadium complex was officially completed with the opening of the University Readiness Center in May 2003. The building houses five locker rooms, a concession stand, hospitality suites, and public restrooms for the use of the men’s and women’s soccer programs.

One of the best baseball facilities in the state of South Carolina, Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park was opened in 2004. A Field of Dreams for USC Upstate ballplayers, the facility includes a practice infield and a facility with three batting cages along with the 500-seat stadium proper and a full press box.

The park was named in honor of local philanthropist and businessman, Cleveland S. Harley. Mr. Harley is a longtime supporter of the University and was an original member of the Spartanburg County Commission of Higher Education that was responsible for founding the institution. He and his family have been instrumental in the growth of the University and, in particular, the athletics program.

USC Upstate opened the Cleveland S. Harley Baseball Park with the first game on Feb. 1, 2004, a doubleheader sweep of Tusculum.

USC Upstate has been fortunate to partner with individuals to create some of the more impressive athletic facilities in the region and, arguably, the nation. It goes without saying that the softball stadium is one such facility thanks to the efforts of Frank Cyrill.

Cyrill had a vision to create one of, if not the, best softball facilities in the South, regardless of NCAA Division status. After several long hours of manual labor put in by Cyrill and head softball coach Chris Hawkins, along with the help of select other people and companies, Cyrill stadium opened in 2002.

Cyrill Stadium has received numerous awards since its completion, including the National Field Maintenance Award, the Sports Turf Manager’s College Softball Field of the Year and the TURFACE Field Maintenance Award. 

The USC Upstate Tennis Complex is a lighted, 12-court facility that has been the home of some of college tennis’ best competition in its brief seven-year history. The tennis clubhouse offers locker rooms for the men’s and women’s teams, and restroom facilities.

In addition to both USC Upstate tennis teams having posted unconditional success at the home courts since the facility was fully completed in 2005, the tennis complex has been the home to four NCAA Tournaments and two Peach Belt Conference Championships. In addition, the complex has hosted USTA events.

Among other memorable moments at the complex, the Upstate men have won more than 85 percent of their matches at the venue and the women have won more than 60 percent. The women also posted a 29-match winning streak at the venue that stretched from February 2007 to April 2009.

Named for one of the University’s founders, Dr. G.B. Hodge, the Center was completed in 1973. After major renovations in the building’s 37-year history, the G.B. Hodge Center features all new seating, a new floor and a state-of-the-art Daktronics video scoreboard system and LED ProTables. Along with the renovations, the volleyball and basketball locker rooms are brand new along with the addition a new weight room, the Spartan Performance Center, and a state-of-the-art video control room.

A first-class cross country course, the Milliken Research Park, located adjacent to the USC Upstate campus, has played host to the annual Eye Opener Meet, the Upstate Invite, the 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference Championships, the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championships, the 1999 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championships, the 2010 Junior College National Championships and the 2006 CVAC Championships.

The Milliken Research Park and its scenic 660-acre campus is the site of the global headquarters of Milliken & Company, will be host to the Spartans during many of their practices as well as the annual Eye Opener, one of the largest collegiate and scholastic races in South Carolina.

In the summer of 2008, USC Upstate athletic director, Mike Hall, hired USC Upstate’s first certified strength and conditioning coach, Scott Senger. When Coach Senger started, the university student body, physical education, and campus recreation shared the then 2,000 square foot weight room with USC Upstate Athletics. Coach Senger spent many hours juggling a schedule that would allow for athletic strength and conditioning workouts and still allow for the daily use by the Upstate student body until the new Health Education Complex (HEC) and the Wellness Center was complete. Upon completion of the HEC and the Wellness Center, the USC Upstate Spartan Performance Center under the direction of Scott Senger, would open its doors for all USC Upstate student-athletes on January 10th, 2011.

The Spartan Performance Center has been recognized as one of the premier strength and conditioning facilities in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Performance Center, along with the strength and conditioning program, has become a vital part to the success of USC Upstate Athletics. As we move forward in Division I, it is the goal of the strength and conditioning program to provide a fulfilling training experience for our student-athletes, which has been greatly enhanced with the addition of the Spartan Performance Center.

A one-of-a-kind partnership between the South Carolina Army National Guard and USC Upstate resulted in a $7 million facility that is shared by the 228th Signal Brigade and the University. USC Upstate is provided with additional classroom space, special events locations, hospitality rooms for the County University Soccer Stadium, dressing rooms for athletic teams, and support facilities for The Louis P. Howell Athletic Complex.

University Readiness Center