An Update from Director of Athletics Daniel Feig
4/9/2020 11:45:00 AM | General
Dear USC Upstate alumni, fans, and friends:
I hope this update finds you and your family healthy and safe, and adjusting to the new normal. It goes without saying—these last few weeks have been unique and challenging for us all. While the impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented for the world of college sports, we know canceling our spring sport seasons and championships is a relatively modest issue in the face of what our nation and world are facing during this crisis. Still, my heart goes out to our student-athletes, coaches and staff that had their spring seasons canceled. I have personally witnessed the early morning workouts and rigorous practices that were building to a great spring season for our student-athletes, and to have it dashed overnight is a bitter pill to swallow, but our student-athletes are resilient and they will recover and work even harder to succeed next year!  Â
While our department and University continue to publish information regarding developments affecting our department, campus, and the college sports world, I wanted to provide an update from a personal perspective to all our constituents.
The University
The University has successfully transitioned to online learning. Our classes are online for the remainder of the semester and throughout the entire summer, so our students have mostly returned home. In fact, we have student-athletes completing their semester studies from five continents!
I am sad for our seniors and their families, as graduation has been postponed for now, but the University is working on alternative ideas to properly celebrate and recognize the class of 2020. Similarly, our staff in Enrollment Services is working hard to continue to recruit the best and brightest to USC Upstate for admission in the fall, and we are hoping to continue our enrollment growth and maintain our position as the 5th largest NCAA Division I university in South Carolina (out of 12).
With classes online and per an order from the Governor, the overwhelming majority of the University faculty and staff are working remotely from home. I am one of the very few that is allowed to work from the office, and I can tell you it is quiet and depressing to see all of our athletic facilities sitting unused—we miss our student-athletes, coaches and staff!Â
USC Upstate Athletics
As you know, the NCAA canceled all spring sport championships and the Big South Conference followed suit shortly thereafter. This resulted in the premature end to the spring seasons for the following sports: Women's Basketball, Golf, Track, Tennis & Softball, and Men's Golf, Baseball, Tennis, and Track. We are particularly heartbroken for our senior student-athletes that have worked so hard throughout their careers but won't have a chance to finish their senior collegiate seasons. Thankfully, the NCAA recently granted spring sport student-athletes an additional year of eligibility , so our coaches are busily working through the possibility of having some of them return unexpectedly for a second senior season next year. For many student-athletes, they have already accepted full-time jobs or will be beginning graduate programs elsewhere, so the decision regarding a possible return is being made on a case-by-case basis.Â
Another reason cutting our spring sport seasons short was so difficult for us is that we were having so much success!Â
Future Outlook
Beyond the immediate concerns of student-athlete wellbeing, we are adjusting to the reality of this pandemic and its effect on our resources, too. Similar to other industries that are suffering because of this pandemic, the NCAA incurred tremendous financial losses as a result of not hosting the annual basketball tournament. The NCAA will distribute roughly one-third of its normal resources to member institutions this year, which is significant and will impact our day-to-day business for the time-being. This immediate change results in six-figure losses at most Division I schools, including USC Upstate. We are making immediate changes to our business model and adapting to our circumstances so that we will be better positioned for success when this crisis ends and in the years to come. If there is one thing I've learned during my time at USC Upstate, it is that our coaches and staff are resourceful and hardworking. While these current times are difficult, I know we will rise to the top and overcome these obstacles through hard work, creativity, innovation, and collaboration.Â
We hope to turn the page on this crisis this summer and welcome our students, staff, and community back to campus. Currently, we have many sport camps planned for our community, and we hope to host other events on campus too, like local youth tournaments and games. In addition, we look forward to catching up on the prior events we had to delay, like our annual fundraiser, Sparty's Ball and Auction.Â
I sincerely hope you and your family are well and are weathering this storm. Stay safe and I look forward to seeing you very soon!
With warmest regards,
Make a difference today for USC Upstate student-athletes! Your support now more than ever will help our student-athletes build upon the momentum of 2019-20, impact their experience next year and help the Spartans reach new heights. We understand these are challenging times, but as you are able, consider a gift today and invest in our future. Â
#SpartanArmy -> #JoinUP
Â
I hope this update finds you and your family healthy and safe, and adjusting to the new normal. It goes without saying—these last few weeks have been unique and challenging for us all. While the impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented for the world of college sports, we know canceling our spring sport seasons and championships is a relatively modest issue in the face of what our nation and world are facing during this crisis. Still, my heart goes out to our student-athletes, coaches and staff that had their spring seasons canceled. I have personally witnessed the early morning workouts and rigorous practices that were building to a great spring season for our student-athletes, and to have it dashed overnight is a bitter pill to swallow, but our student-athletes are resilient and they will recover and work even harder to succeed next year!  Â
While our department and University continue to publish information regarding developments affecting our department, campus, and the college sports world, I wanted to provide an update from a personal perspective to all our constituents.
The University
The University has successfully transitioned to online learning. Our classes are online for the remainder of the semester and throughout the entire summer, so our students have mostly returned home. In fact, we have student-athletes completing their semester studies from five continents!
I am sad for our seniors and their families, as graduation has been postponed for now, but the University is working on alternative ideas to properly celebrate and recognize the class of 2020. Similarly, our staff in Enrollment Services is working hard to continue to recruit the best and brightest to USC Upstate for admission in the fall, and we are hoping to continue our enrollment growth and maintain our position as the 5th largest NCAA Division I university in South Carolina (out of 12).
With classes online and per an order from the Governor, the overwhelming majority of the University faculty and staff are working remotely from home. I am one of the very few that is allowed to work from the office, and I can tell you it is quiet and depressing to see all of our athletic facilities sitting unused—we miss our student-athletes, coaches and staff!Â
USC Upstate Athletics
As you know, the NCAA canceled all spring sport championships and the Big South Conference followed suit shortly thereafter. This resulted in the premature end to the spring seasons for the following sports: Women's Basketball, Golf, Track, Tennis & Softball, and Men's Golf, Baseball, Tennis, and Track. We are particularly heartbroken for our senior student-athletes that have worked so hard throughout their careers but won't have a chance to finish their senior collegiate seasons. Thankfully, the NCAA recently granted spring sport student-athletes an additional year of eligibility , so our coaches are busily working through the possibility of having some of them return unexpectedly for a second senior season next year. For many student-athletes, they have already accepted full-time jobs or will be beginning graduate programs elsewhere, so the decision regarding a possible return is being made on a case-by-case basis.Â
Another reason cutting our spring sport seasons short was so difficult for us is that we were having so much success!Â
- First year head coach Mike McGuire and our baseball team was 13-5, our best start since 2012, and had recently beaten Michigan State and Northwestern University;Â
- Softball head coach and USC Upstate Hall of Famer Chris Hawkins has now cleared the 950-win mark and as per usual, the Spartans were off to a strong 17-7 record, including a recent win over the University of Virginia;
- The Indoor track season had just ended and outdoor season was about to start when competition came to a halt. At the Big South Indoor Championships, three student-athletes picked up individual conference titles! and
- Both men's and women's golf teams were playing phenomenally down the home stretch sitting in second place in the Big South and were poised to compete for conference championships.  Â
Future Outlook
Beyond the immediate concerns of student-athlete wellbeing, we are adjusting to the reality of this pandemic and its effect on our resources, too. Similar to other industries that are suffering because of this pandemic, the NCAA incurred tremendous financial losses as a result of not hosting the annual basketball tournament. The NCAA will distribute roughly one-third of its normal resources to member institutions this year, which is significant and will impact our day-to-day business for the time-being. This immediate change results in six-figure losses at most Division I schools, including USC Upstate. We are making immediate changes to our business model and adapting to our circumstances so that we will be better positioned for success when this crisis ends and in the years to come. If there is one thing I've learned during my time at USC Upstate, it is that our coaches and staff are resourceful and hardworking. While these current times are difficult, I know we will rise to the top and overcome these obstacles through hard work, creativity, innovation, and collaboration.Â
We hope to turn the page on this crisis this summer and welcome our students, staff, and community back to campus. Currently, we have many sport camps planned for our community, and we hope to host other events on campus too, like local youth tournaments and games. In addition, we look forward to catching up on the prior events we had to delay, like our annual fundraiser, Sparty's Ball and Auction.Â
I sincerely hope you and your family are well and are weathering this storm. Stay safe and I look forward to seeing you very soon!
With warmest regards,
Make a difference today for USC Upstate student-athletes! Your support now more than ever will help our student-athletes build upon the momentum of 2019-20, impact their experience next year and help the Spartans reach new heights. We understand these are challenging times, but as you are able, consider a gift today and invest in our future.  #SpartanArmy -> #JoinUP
Â
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