A Message from Matt: Spring Is In The Air
2/5/2025 7:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Academic Services, General, Upstate Athletic Fund
Spartan Family,
February is among us – which means we're entering the heart of Big South Basketball season and kicking off our spring sports seasons. There's always a frenetic pace around the facilities of athletic departments, but the month of February tends to ratchet everything up a notch.
THANK YOU
First and foremost – THANK YOU – to all the fans who attended and help make last Wednesday's men's basketball game versus Charleston Southern a sellout! It was an electric atmosphere inside the G.B. Hodge Center – and precisely the type of experience we aspire to have on a nightly basis. A huge kudos to our staff for promoting and executing an excellent event for our fans and community!
SOFTBALL PICKED AS PRESEASON FAVORITES; BASEBALL SECOND
As we look ahead to the spring, congratulations to our defending conference champion softball program for being picked as a preseason Big South favorite once again! Their home opener is this weekend, hosting Akron at 12:30 pm and then Bowling Green at 3:00 pm here at Cyrill Stadium. Admission is free!
In baseball, there's a ton of excitement for the start of the Kane Sweeney-era, as the Spartans were picked to finish second in the Big South preseason polls.
Season Preview ?? @UpstateSoftball
— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) February 5, 2025
Spartans Head Coach Chris Hawkins sets expectations as the defending Big South champs enter 2025 as preseason favorites ?? pic.twitter.com/uXoxRXBeK4
MAKING HUB CITY HISTORY
As you may have seen, we were thrilled to announce that three games will be held at our local professional baseball stadiums this season. I am elated to continue our partnership with Greenville Drive, as we host two games at Flour Field (March 4th vs Clemson and March 19th vs Wofford). Tickets to both are on sale now!
As you may have read, we also recently announced that we will be taking on Wofford again on April 1st at the brand-new Fifth Third Park here in Spartanburg, home of the Hub City Spartanburgers. This game will be the first-ever event at the new park, so be sure to get your tickets now to witness history!
These are key opportunities for our entire community – students, alums, parents, fans, everyone to show our Upstate pride to the community. Our games hosted by our local professional sports teams are key to our success – and we can't wait to fill both parks with Green and White!
SPECIAL EDITION JERSEYS & GEAR
We will launch our first-ever jersey auction next week, featuring our newly unveiled "Hub City" jerseys. These special-edition jerseys showcase iconic campus buildings and landmarks around Spartanburg, celebrating the deep connection between our university and the community. This one-of-a-kind opportunity allows fans to bid on game-worn memorabilia, with proceeds supporting our scholarship fund. Be sure to check out the auction link here.
Additionally, we're excited to announce a collaboration with Burg Apparel, featuring retro-inspired designs for USC Upstate Athletics. Stay tuned for more details on grabbing some unique gear and showing your Spartan pride!
I'd like to recognize that today is National Girls & Women in Sports Day, a time to celebrate the incredible impact of female student-athletes, coaches, and leaders. At USC Upstate, we are proud to support and empower women in sports, recognizing their achievements in and out of the classroom.
?? Undeniable. Unstoppable. Upstate. ??
— USC Upstate Spartans (@UpstateSpartans) February 5, 2025
Celebrating the power, resilience and impact of our female student-athletes on National Girls and Women in Sports Day. ????#SpartanArmy?? #NGWSD pic.twitter.com/bVj0sKcGnW
NCAA UPDATES
I want to take this opportunity to recap the national convention that took place in Nashville a few weeks ago and how it shapes the future of Upstate Athletics.
First off, a key topic of discussion was revenue sharing and name, image, and likeness (NIL). As a department and university, we are continuing to evaluate how the new House Settlement and other guidelines will impact our university and athletics department. The NCAA landscape seems to change daily, but we're continuing to actively monitor each update, and intend to engage with the appropriate opportunities for USC Upstate to position itself best to compete at the highest level.
On an exciting note, the NCAA announced a new payout structure for the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Starting in the 2025–26 season, programs will earn a "unit" of approximately $113,000 for each tournament game appearance. This figure will increase annually by 2.9%, making it a promising opportunity for women's basketball programs nationwide. This brings the women's basketball tournament under the same compensation structure that March Madness on the men's side has operated under for years. I was honored to participate in the vote to pass this new structure, which passed unanimously amongst Division I membership.
Beyond the formal meetings, much was discussed at the individual, regional, and conference levels regarding the "new realities" of collegiate athletics. I am committed to prioritizing the best interests of our student-athletes at USC Upstate. Our university leadership and athletics department will continue to provide unwavering support as we navigate these changes together.
Thank you for your continued support of Spartan Athletics. We look forward to an exciting year ahead!
-Matt
