University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina (also known as USC, South Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, coeducational, research university. The main campus is located in Columbia, South Carolina and is part of the University of South Carolina System. Founded in 1801, the university offers programs of study leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from sixteen degree-granting academic divisions. It currently enrolls over 26,000 students; the president of USC is Andrew J. Sorensen.

Athletics

Carolina's 18 collegiate sports teams are known as the Fighting Gamecocks. They all compete at the Division I level of the NCAA and all sports but men's soccer compete in the Southeastern Conference (East Division). The school colors are garnet and black.

Related Topics:
Gamecocks - Division I - NCAA - Soccer - Southeastern Conference

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The university was a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953, but it left in 1971 after disputes over the conference's recruiting regulations and the dominance of the ACC's four North Carolina schools. USC then competed as an independent in all sports until 1983, when it joined the Metro Conference for sports other than football. In 1991, USC joined the SEC together with the University of Arkansas to bring membership total to 12.

Related Topics:
Atlantic Coast Conference - 1953 - 1971 - North Carolina - 1983 - Metro Conference - 1991 - University of Arkansas

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Football is the school's most popular sport, and standing-room-only crowds are common at 82,000-seat Williams-Brice Stadium. After the retirement of Lou Holtz from the coaching ranks in 2004, the university hired Steve Spurrier to lead the Gamecock football program.

Related Topics:
Football - Williams-Brice Stadium - Lou Holtz - Steve Spurrier

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Basketball has been a popular sport ever since Frank McGuire was the head coach in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Under his watch, the university built the 12,000-seat Carolina Coliseum. Starting in the 2002-2003 season the Gamecock basketball teams started playing in the 18,000-seat Colonial Center. Before the 2001-2002 season, Dave Odom became the school's basketball head coach. In 2005, USC won the NIT, which is the secondary tournament to the NCAA tournament.

Related Topics:
Basketball - Frank McGuire - Gamecock - Colonial Center - Dave Odom - 2005 - NIT - NCAA tournament

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The baseball teams also have been successful over the years. Under Head Coach Ray Tanner, the team made three consecutive appearances at the College World Series from 2002 to 2004. The school has been the national runner-up on three different occasions.

Related Topics:
Baseball - Ray Tanner - College World Series - 2002 - 2004

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Other successful programs include men's soccer, track & field, softball, and women's basketball.

Related Topics:
Soccer - Track & field - Softball - Women's basketball

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Clemson University is South Carolina's in-state rival, and the two schools compete in all sponsored sports aside from softball and equestrian. In football, Clemson leads the alltime series against the Gamecocks 62-36 with 4 ties. In the 2004 game, a fight broke out between the two teams, leading to self-imposed bowl disqualification for both teams. Another rival is the University of Georgia.

Related Topics:
Clemson University - Softball - Equestrian - University of Georgia

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