Facilities
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Blatt PE Center
1300 Wheat Street
The Center not only houses classrooms and activity areas of the Physical Education
and Exercise Science Departments
but also is used for intramurals and recreational sports by students, faculty, and
staff.
Indoor and outdoor sports at the facility include archery, basketball, badminton, boxing, dance, golf, gymnastics, tumbling, handball, squash, shuffleboard, table tennis, tennis practice, wrestling, weight lifting/body building, football, golf practice, horseshoes, rugby, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. A three-story addition doubling the size of facility was completed in 1975. The addition features an Olympic-sized swimming pool and diving towers, two gymnasiums, handball and squash courts, offices, and classrooms. There are now a total of four gymasiums.
The Center was named for Solomon Blatt (1895-1986, Class of 1917 Law, 1962 Honorary), a member of the S.C. House of Representatives from Barnwell County for 54 years. He was speaker of the S.C. House from 1937 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1973, or a total of 33 years. He was also a member of the USC Board of Trustees from 1935 to 1947. At the time of his death, he was the oldest active state legislator and held records for longest continuous state legislative service and the longest tenure as House speaker. The University of South Carolina was one of his great loves, and his influence helped to direct its development.
Recreation Fields
The University Recreation Department provides several large playing fields for use in instruction, intramurals, and recreational free play by the students, faculty, and staff. Specifically, their are two large multi-purpose fields next to the Blatt PE Center which are used for football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby and various other sports and activities. Located behind the PE Center are two sand volleyball courts and a softball field. Student, faculty, and staff are also able to use the track which is located a short distance from the Blatt PE Center.
Also associated with the recreation department is the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center. This is a 40 million dollar facility aimed at enhancing the recreational opportunities afforded to the USC community.