"Our players never used our locker room before.  Now they're coming early, spending more time together before practice and games, it's really brought a new dynamic to the culture of our program which is built around 'family."

Those are the words of Chris Hawkins, the head coach of the USC Upstate softball program, as he describes the change made in his program this spring with the renovation of the locker rooms located on the first floor of the University Readiness Center (URC). 

For over a decade, the softball, baseball and men's and women's soccer programs had used what would best be described as a space to get changed and have a halftime conversation.  Those spaces, which were outfitted with lockers from the 1980s and were not inviting for today's student-athlete were only barely useable as a truly functioning locker room.  Completed in 2003, the URC is a shared building owned by the South Carolina Army National Guard with a working relationship with the University and USC Upstate athletics.  In the past, during certain portions of the year, the locker rooms and adjoining showers were not exclusively used by the individual programs, having some shared function as a changing area for umpires, visiting teams and National Guard drill weekends.  Hence, until recently, these spaces were nearly impossible for any Spartan program to truly feel like a "home."

"We have many needs and wants throughout our department, but the renovation of the locker rooms at the URC have been on our priority list for years," said director of athletics Daniel Feig.  "Roughly 40% of our student-athletes are in these four programs and prior to this year their locker room space was simply way behind the times and more of a disadvantage than an asset to their experience.  Now our locker rooms provide a space for our student-athletes to build community and relationships, while also serving a starring role during campus tours for our recruits."

Internally, planning on the project began in early 2020, just prior the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The project, like literally everything else in life, was shelved for a series of months and as the calendar turned to 2021 there was renewed energy to get the project off the ground again.

The first public conversation around the locker room project was in May 2021 as the Fund-A-Need portion of Sparty's Ball and Auction centered around spurring donations for the locker room renovation.  This, coupled with gifts from several alumni and an anonymous lead gift gave the renovation new life and additional planning and work ensued.

Demolition of the interior of the four locker rooms commenced in the fall of 2022 and over the course of the semester 130 customized lockers were installed and each space had the ceilings raised, new LED lights were installed, each room was repainted and carpeted and, for the first time, graphics were installed so each program had a personalized touch.

The baseball and softball programs made the move in January for the start of their competition season and men's and women's soccer moved in thereafter to start spring training and workouts.

We are grateful for the generosity of alumni and friends of Spartan Athletics, whose support drove this transformational project for over 125 student-athletes!  You're invited to take a look inside and hear from our student-athletes about the impact of this project already by watching this video feature.

Want to cement your support for Spartan Athletics?  Consider the Locker Legacy Program! 

For every $500 gift, names will be added to the Leadership Donor Wall to be displayed outside the locker room area. 

Gifts of $1,000 of more, the donor will have a designated locker inside one of the four areas named in their honor, complete with personalized plaque in addition to inclusion on the Leadership Donor Wall.

Opportunities are available to spread total gifts out over a two-year period as well.   To visit campus and tour the locker rooms and other areas, contact assistant athletic director for development, Maddi Currier at CurrierM@uscupstate.edu or (864) 503-7367.