Facilities update: New football practice fields ready; major projects moving along

Ray Tanner updated several of South Carolina’s facility projects during a “state of the union” report of the athletic department to USC’s Board of Trustees on Friday.

He started with a plan to expand women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley’s office space and to move men’s coach Frank Martin and his staff to the lower level of Carolina Coliseum. That move will take place once the state approves the plan; the project will cost $4 million and add a new entryway to the Coliseum that can appeal to recruits.

That ties in with the current project of installing two practice courts on the playing surface at the Coliseum. It is set to be completed by Oct. 6-7.

“It’s not ideal for both teams to be practicing at the same time, but it is possible,” Tanner said. “And it is a tremendous addition for us.”

Other projects with estimated completions:

* Outdoor football practice fields ($3 million). The new location, behind Gamecock Park, is ready after the grass was laid last month. The Gamecocks hope to be practicing there by mid-October.

To shuttle the players from Williams-Brice Stadium to the new fields, Tanner said they are leaning toward trams. He mentioned Disney World’s tram system as a comparison.

“We’re looking at a number of different options, and they’re all sort of in the tram family,” Tanner said.

* Swimming and diving locker rooms and lounge ($495,000). Renovations to the existing locker rooms should be complete by early December.

* New tennis facility ($995,000). Set to be completed after Christmas.

* Indoor football facility ($14.5 million). Construction has begun and it is set to be completed in May.

* Gameday building, plaza at Williams-Brice Stadium ($14.5 million). Construction will begin after the last home game on Nov. 22 and is set to be completed before the 2015 home opener.

* Outdoor track renovation ($8.5 million). Set to be constructed from January to November 2015.

* New soccer building ($3 million). Set to be constructed from January to December 2015.

* Indoor track and fieldhouse ($6.5 million). Set to be constructed from June 2015 to January 2016.

Tanner also said that major gift giving to athletics is $10.3 million, which is slightly up from last year. The Gamecocks sold 54,005 season tickets this year, their highest total since 2007.

He also said that future neutral-site football games will be considered but not at a cost of future home games. Tanner said that the Gamecocks will host at least seven home games per year.

This story was originally published September 12, 2014 at 6:00 PM.