Palmetto Proving Grounds

It does not affect us at all. The SEC like other sports is arguabley the best swimming conference in the country. The Pac 12( Standford, So. Cal) has some tradition rich schools as does the Big 12 (Texas). UCLA recently dropped there program which was sad because they have put many an Olympian on the USA team. Carolina dominated the Metro Conference in the 80's winning the conference multiple years in a row( something around 10) and placing 10th in the country in 1987, 12th, 12th and 14th the years after. The team struggled through the 90's and early 2000's with coaching changes as well as switching to the SEC. Presently the state of South Carolina has some great talent but we are not competing with Klemson for it( because we dominate them, undefeated my 4 years and we didn't lose atleast the 3 years before I got there) we compete with georgia, auburn and some other SEC teams who are now the best in the country. When I was in school we dominated georgia and auburn, but they have since built new state of the art facilities and are now the best in the nation. Our pool and aquatics center is outdated even though we recently tried to add some paint and a wall of fame. Just like any sport, we need to update facilities to compete. We have a good history and club swimming in the state is definately on the rise. Unfortunately, swimming only gets looked at every 4 years when we dominate the Olympics and remind everyone that we are the best in the World.

Their pool was only half the length of an Olympic pool.

Great info! I appreciate your insight.

A question, though. Do we have any long term plans for a new facility?

It is my understanding that the latest USC Campus Master Plan calls for the Blatt Center to be torn down at some point so that flooding problems caused by Rocky Branch Creek can be alleviated.

Maybe this is why they have not sunk a lot of money into the Natatorium.

I for one hope that we build a new Natatorium.....My son has swum in several state championships at the Blatt while at JL Mann and we have had the opportunity with year round swimming to swim at both Tenn and UGA and based on just these two we are way behind in facilities.....Now, don't take this as a complaint on my part. I realize that building new facilities takes time and money and there are priorities but hope that we build something new in the future....

There were great plans in place to put an outdoor 50 meter pool on campus while I was there as part of facilities upgrades. It would be used for the teams and hold national meets, as well as utilized by the general student body. YAWZA. Which of course benefits everyone!! But have heard nothing since.