North Greenville College in Tigerville, S.C., hopes the opening next month of its first on-campus stadium will help the school save money and attract membership offers from athletic conferences.
The 1,800-student Christian school spent $350,000 last year on its football program, including $6,000 in rent to play its home games at an area high school. Additional home-game travel costs for the school were more than double that amount, and the high school retained most of the stadium revenue.
The new $10 million Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium at Fogle Field aims to change that. As the stadium’s owner and operator, North Greenville College will keep revenue generated at the venue.
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| This fall is the school's first in Division II. |
Crusaders football last year generated approximately $57,000, according to school officials.
Because the venue will be opening in the middle of the team’s 2004 season, the Crusaders will play their first two home games this year at last year’s high school site. Next year, the school expects to sell corporate sponsorships and season tickets for the program for the first time.
Tigerville, S.C., is located approximately two hours southwest of Charlotte and the same distance northwest of Columbia, S.C.
The Crusaders this fall are playing their first season at the NCAA Division II level. School officials said the stadium is a key element toward their goal of dropping the school’s status as an independent.
They also are seeking funding for further development of the 80-acre site on which the stadium sits. Grading and utility work have begun for the construction of a $4 million multipurpose arena, which is expected to open in fall 2006. The overall facilities project also includes a $1.3 million, 500-seat soccer stadium and two full-sized football practice fields, each of which opened this summer.
