How many have given $250,000 or more toward USC’s $50 million football building?

The University of South Carolina announced it’s in the final push to raise $30 million for the new $50 million football facility, or as the school termed it the “Fourth-Quarter Drive.”

In the announcement, the school revealed or reiterated a few things:

▪ There have been 20 commitments of $250,000 or more.

▪ ”Leadership gifts” came from coach Will Muschamp, former “Gamecock Greats” Tommy Suggs and Ken Wheat and Bob McNair, owner of the Houston Texans and a 1958 alum.

▪ A total of 104 donors have given $1,000 or more to the project with 31 naming gifts approved for the building.

▪ According to the school, “An additional 58 unique opportunities starting at $25,000 remain for other Gamecock supporters.”

“Our family was excited to step up and do our part, and we are passionate about supporting Coach Tanner and Coach Muschamp, but we certainly didn’t give the whole $50 million, “ donor Kenneth Long said in a statement. “You don’t build a building like that without a whole lot of people getting involved and doing what they can to help the program.”

The football operations center will centralize most of the team’s facilities. Currently, offices, the weight room and the locker room are in Williams-Brice Stadium, while the team practices and has its indoor across Gamecock Park.

“The Long Center puts us at the forefront of facilities in college football,” Muschamp said in the statement. “It shows a commitment from the University to future student-athletes, as well as the student-athletes we currently have on campus.



“This will be a first-class facility. It’s going to be just fabulous for student-athletes as well as our staff. Right now, our practice situation is phenomenal. We’ve got the nicest (indoor facility) I’ve ever been around and two grass practice fields with plenty of work space outside of that. To get this facility done, I’m really excited.”



Athletic director Ray Tanner reiterated the space freed up at the stadium will also be put to new uses.

“We’re excited about the space we’ve freed up in the stadium with the addition of the Long Center,” Tanner said. “Look for some creative changes coming down the road to make our gamedays in Gamecock Country even better.”

This story was originally published August 27, 2018 at 4:49 PM.