South_Carolina_Gamecocks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Carolina Gamecocks South Carolina Gamecocks South Carolina Gamecocks University Conference NCAA Athletics director Location Varsity teams Football stadium Basketball arena Baseball stadium Other arenas University of South Carolina Southeastern Conference Division I Eric Hyman Columbia, SC 19 Williams-Brice Stadium Colonial Life Arena Carolina Stadium Eugene E. Stone III Stadium (soccer) Beckham Field (softball) Cocky Gamecocks The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way Garnet and Black www.gamecocksonline.com Mascot Nickname Fight song Colors Homepage The University of South Carolina’s 19 varsity sports teams are known as the Gamecocks, and USC is the only Division I school to use this nickname/mascot. The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his physical stature or the size of his regiment. A British General commented that Sumter "fought like a gamecock." While the men have traditionally been the Fighting Gamecocks and the women were previously the Lady Gamecocks, this distinction was discontinued in part to help eliminate gender bias in their athletic department, and to discount the oft-held misconception that their mascot is meant to honor/promote animal bloodsport in any way. All of the University’s varsity teams compete at the Division I level of the NCAA, and all but men’s soccer compete in the Southeastern Conference.[1] Men’s soccer competes in Conference USA because the SEC does not sponsor men’s soccer. The official school colors are garnet and black. However, some officially licensed merchandise also contain gold, which represents the spurs historically worn by gamecocks in cockfights. The colors of garnet and black were chosen by the family of Dr. J. William Flinn when they presented a banner composed of those colors to the football team in November 1895. There was no definite act of adoption of the colors, but an unsuccessful attempt was made shortly after 1900 to change the colors.[2] The athletics department is supported with private money from the Gamecock Club. It was originally formed as the B.A.M. ("BuckA-Month") Club in 1939 and 1940 to benefit the athletics programs from privately raised funds.[3] Although the University’s varsity teams have won only a few national titles, many league championships and tournament titles have been won over the years. Tim Brando of CBS Sports has said, "You won’t find any more loyal fans in the country than those who follow the South Carolina Gamecocks." [4] For many years, USC has called itself simply "Carolina" in athletics, much as North Carolina has done. Conference History The University of South Carolina was a member of the Southern Conference for men’s basketball and football from 1922 until it 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia became a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953. The Gamecocks, however, left the ACC in 1971. USC then competed as an independent until 1983 when it joined the Metro Conference for all sports except football (which the Metro did not sponsor) and men’s soccer. In 1991, the Gamecocks joined the Southeastern Conference when it increased its membership to 12 schools and split into two divisions, adding the University of Arkansas to its Western Division and the University of South Carolina to its Eastern Division. Men’s soccer continued to compete as an independent since the SEC does not sponsor men’s soccer, but joined the Metro Conference for the 1993 and 1994 seasons and has competed in Conference USA since 2005. [1] South Carolina Gamecocks exploited opportunity to market competitions with each other.[6] According to Jeff Crane, the Sports Marketing Director for South Carolina, South Carolina changed their "official" primary color from PMS 201 to PMS 202 in an attempt to develop a unique identity in the sports marketplace, as the shade being used was seen as "too red" by many observers. Although, "garnet" has been and still remains the official color, along with black. [7] On the other hand, Carolina continues to develop rivalries with other members of the SEC’s Eastern Division, which many regard as the most competitive in all of college sports. The "Halloween Game" pitting the Gamecocks against the University of Tennessee has the potential to be a big football game every year, and of course a rivalry is brewing with the University of Florida since the Gamecocks hired Steve Spurrier, Florida’s former head football coach. However, Carolina’s main SEC rival has been the University of Georgia due to its proximity and the many years of competition before the Gamecocks joined the SEC. Rivalries Carolina’s foremost rival is Clemson University. The two institutions are separated by just over 125 miles and have been bitter rivals since Clemson’s founding in 1889. A heated rivalry continues to this day for a variety of reasons, including the historic tensions regarding their respective charters along with the passions surrounding their athletic programs. The annual Carolina-Clemson football game is the longest uninterrupted series in the South and the third longest uninterrupted series overall, first being played in 1896 (four years after South Carolina’s inaugural season), and having been played every year since 1909.[5] Their baseball programs consistently qualify for the NCAA playoffs and frequently earn berths to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. When Carolina was a member of the ACC, there was an intense rivalry with the University of North Carolina, particularly in basketball since Frank McGuire had coached UNC but moved to Columbia to coach the Gamecocks. The rivalry was renewed in football during the 2007 season, with the Gamecocks defeating the Tar Heels 21-15. UNC and the University of Southern California use nicknames that are also used by the University of South Carolina. For example, UNC is sometimes called "Carolina" while Southern California is sometimes called "USC". Sharing nicknames with these schools is an untapped source of rivalry and a rarely Championships The Gamecocks have won six national team championships: 2002 NCAA championship in women’s track & field, 2005 & 2007 National Championship in women’s equestrian, and 2005-2007 Hunt Seat National Championships in women’s equestrian. Also, the men’s and women’s track & field teams have produced many NCAA individual champions, world championship medalists, and Olympic medalists. The men’s baseball and basketball teams have also produced Olympic medalists. Other significant accomplishments include: 2005 NCAA runner-up in women’s track & field; NCAA runner-up three times in baseball (2002, 1977, 1975); 1993 NCAA runner-up in men’s soccer; and 2005 & 2006 NIT championships in men’s basketball. Sport Baseball Coach (since) Ray Tanner (1997) Facility Carolina Stadium Titles SEC East (2003, 20 2000, 199 SEC Cham ship: 2 (2002,200 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Carolina Gamecocks SEC TournaWomen’s Cross ment: 1 (2004) Country NCAA Tournament: 22 apWomen’s Equestrian pearances College World Series: 8 appearances NCAA RunnerUp: 3 (2002, 1977, 1975) [8] Football Southern Conference Champions: 4 (1945, 1934, 1933, Golf Men’s 1927) Southern Conference Tournament: 1 (1933) ACC Championship: 1 (1971) ACC Tournament Runner-Up: 2 (1970, 1957) SEC East: 2 (2009, 1997) SEC ChampionWomen’s ship: 1 (1997) SEC Tournament Runner-Up: 2 (2006, 1998) NIT Championships: 2 (2006, Soccer Men’s 2005) NCAA Tournament: 8 appearances NWIT Tournament: 1 (1979) Metro Conference Regular Season: 5 (1991, 1990, Women’s 1989, 1988, 1986) Metro ConferSoftball ence Tournament: 3 (1989, 1988, 1986) NCAA Tournament: 8 appearances Stan Rosenthal (2001) Boo Duncan (1998) One Wood Farm Metro Co ence: 3 (1 1990, 198 National pions: 2 ( 2005) Hunt Sea tional Ch ons: 3 (20 2006, 200 Basketball Men’s Darrin Horn (2008) Colonial Life Arena Steve Spurrier (2004) WilliamsBrice Stadium ACC Cha ship: 1 (1 Bowl Rec 4W-9L Bill The McDonald University (2007) Club ACC Cha ship: 1 (1 Metro Co ence Cha onship: 1 (1991) NCAA To ment: 19 pearance 2007 NCA West Reg Champion Kalen Anderson (2007) The University Club Metro Co ence: 1 (1 SEC Cham ship: 1 (2 NCAA To ment: 14 appearan Women’s Dawn Staley (2008) Colonial Life Arena Mark Ber- Stone Stadi- Metro Co son um (The ence: 1 (1 (1978) Graveyard) Conferen USA Tour ment: 1 ( NCAA To ment: 17 pearance NCAA Ru Up: 1 (19 Shelley Smith (2001) Joyce Compton (1987) Stone Stadi- NCAA To um (The ment: 3 Graveyard) appearan Beckham Field SEC Tour ment: 2 ( 1997) SEC Regu Season: 1 (1997) SEC East 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2002, 2001, 1999, 1997) NCAA Tournament: 14 appearances Swimming Men’s & Diving McGee Moody (2007) The Carolina Natatorium The Carolina Natatorium Metro Conference: 8 (1984, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91) Metro Conference: 6 (1984, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90) NIC: 4 (1986, 87, 88, 89) South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s McGee Moody (2007) Tennis Men’s Kent DeMars (1984) Sam Daniel Tennis Center ACC Regular Season: 1 Volleyball Ben Women’s Volleyball (1968) Somera Competition ACC Tourna(2007) Facility ment: 1 (1968) Metro Tournament: 6 (1991, 90, 89, 87, 86, 85) NCAA Tournament: 18 appearances • South Carolina Gamecocks football appearan (indoor), pearance door) NCAA Ch onship: 1 (2002) NCAA Ru Up: 1 (20 NCAA Ind al Champ Many Olympic M ists: Man World Ch onship M ists: Man Metro Co ence: 1 (1 NCAA To ment: 7 appearan See also Women’s Arlo Elkins (1984) Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center Track and Men’s Field Curtis Frye (1996) Weems Baskin Track Facility Women’s Curtis Frye (1996) Weems Baskin Track Facility • South Carolina Gamecocks men’s Metro Conferbasketball ence Tourna• South Carolina Gamecocks baseball ment: 5 (1990, 88, 87, 86, 85) NCAA Tournament: 16 [1] ^ University of South Carolina Official appearances Athletic Site - Traditions NCAA Tourna[2] Green, Edwin Luther (1916). History of ment: 12 University of South Carolina. The the appearances (inState Company. p. 460. door), 12 ap- Henry H. (2001). A History of [3] Lesesne, pearances (outthe University of South Carolina, door)1940-2000. University of South Carolina NCAA IndividuPress. p. 66. al Champions: [4] http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/ Manyschools/scar/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/ Olympic Medal05mg1-recruiting1.pdf, p. 17 ists: Many football records, p. 111. [5] NCAA World Champi[6] The Real Carolina onship Medal[7] Jolley, Doug (2008-04-07), "South ists: Many Carolina Changes Its "Official" Color", SEC ChampionGamecockAnthem.com, ship: http://74.125.93.104/search?q=cache:3 (2005, 2002, 1999) RjKuWnVBmMJ:southcarolina.scout.com/ NCAA Tourna2/744399.html, retrieved on 2009-04-13. ment: 11 Footnotes 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [8] NCAA Men’s College World Series 2008 16 Regional Sites Selected For NCAA Division I Baseball Championship [9] NCAA soccer records, p. 132 South Carolina Gamecocks External links • Past and present football team’s schedules and results Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Gamecocks" Categories: Conference USA, University of South Carolina, South Carolina Gamecocks This page was last modified on 12 May 2009, at 00:43 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) 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