Message from Matt: Updates to Spartan Nation
10/17/2024 6:59:00 PM | Baseball, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Track and Field, Women's Basketball, Men's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field, Upstate Athletic Fund
Spartan Family:
First and foremost, I hope that each of you are on the road to recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Through the highs and lows of the past few weeks, I’ve been incredibly proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff, who remained resilient and continued to rise to the occasion. Despite the devastation caused in our community and surrounding area, I have witnessed tremendous moments of strength and unity. Our student-athletes have shown remarkable leadership, finding ways to volunteer and support others in a time of need. You may have seen that we are serving as the “home” for some of UNC Asheville's teams until they can get back on their feet, and we are proud to support them. In a time when college athletics gets so much media attention for the wrong reasons, this was a good reminder about the positive ways our programs can make an impact on others.
I also want to take a moment to thank The Johnson Group, and all of the sponsors of The Carolina Cup, which we hosted at Carolina Country Club a little over a week ago. Our partners were incredible throughout the entire event, and though we had to adjust schedules due to the hurricane, they consistently prioritized the needs of the participating student-athletes. It ended up being a beautiful weekend for golf here in Spartanburg!
On Saturday, we were proud to host the 9th Josh Lee Memorial 5k Run here on our campus. As many of you know, this event is a special one, as it not only honors one of our own, but also raises important scholarship dollars for our track & field program. I cannot thank the Lee Family enough for all of the love and support they continue to provide to our University. While I am slightly embarrassed by my personal time in running the 5k, I can proudly say that I was one of the 300+ runners who “just finished the race” – which is what it is all about! As many of you saw at the event, the next race we intend to finish is bringing a much-needed track & field facility to USC Upstate’s campus. We’ll have more public information coming soon – but it is at the forefront of our priorities list.
Don't forget, the new date for Morgan Square Madness is Tuesday, October 22nd, at 6:00 p.m. This event will introduce our men’s and women’s basketball teams, and DJ Sha will once again provide the music. There will be contests, giveaways, and much more—all free and open to the public! Morgan Square Madness, powered by Ingles, is South Carolina’s only outdoor interactive basketball event, and we are excited to bring it back to downtown Spartanburg for a third year. The first two years were met with rave reviews and huge turnouts, and we hope to see even more of you there this time!
?? THE SHOW GOES ON ??
— USC Upstate Spartans (@UpstateSpartans) October 16, 2024
Morgan Square Madness takes over downtown Spartanburg next Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Join us for a FREE EVENT featuring live music, prize giveaways, and hoops in the heart of downtown!
The evening begins with a pre-show concert featuring @avllyric at 5pm… pic.twitter.com/IAGSn26weO
Also – mark your calendars for Monday, November 11th for the Spartan Golf Classic at Carolina Country Club. Get your foursomes ready and sign up today by clicking here!
Lastly, you may have heard about the recent NCAA/House Settlement court ruling on revenue sharing with student-athletes. While we don’t have all the answers yet, we are actively evaluating our options as the landscape continues to evolve. Rest assured, we are focused on positioning USC Upstate for future success, and we are committed to being the best version of ourselves.
Thank you for your continued support of USC Upstate Athletics. Together, we’ll keep pushing forward!
-Matt Martin
