The smell of permanent marker hung in the air Tuesday at Wofford College’s new Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.
Students, faculty, staff, contractors and other supporters gathered in the unfinished arena at 601 Cumming Street beside Gibbs Stadium and ceremonially signed their names on a beam that will be on display when the project is completed next fall.
For the second time in two weeks, the college hosted a topping out ceremony to celebrate a construction milestone for one of two facilities funded by its longtime benefactor and NFL Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.
On Sept. 13, Wofford hosted a similar ceremony for the new arts center expected to open in the spring of 2017 that is named in honor of Richardson’s wife, Rosalind Sallenger Richardson.
Richardson, a 1959 Wofford alumnus, gifted undisclosed amounts of funding for both projects in 2014. The arts center gift was a surprise for his wife.
“There will be no other indoor stadium like this at any other like institution in the country,” said Wofford President Nayef Samhat. “As the Rosalind S. Richardson Center for the Arts will be transformational for the student experience at Wofford, the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium will be equally transformational.”
The 123,000-square-foot arena, designed by Spartanburg’s McMillan Pazdan Smith and constructed by Robins & Morton of Alabama, will replace the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
It will serve as the home for the Terriers’ women’s and men’s basketball and volleyball programs.
The facility will include a 3,400-seat basketball arena and 500-seat volleyball court, and will be adaptable to seat 4,500 people for non-athletic functions, such as commencements and concerts.
The arena will have a media center and server room. Monitors and other technologies placed throughout the building will allow coaches to review game footage and help players refine their techniques and tactics.
A state-of-the-art training room with hydrotherapy, coaches’ offices and team meeting rooms will be included.
Other features include a video board and ribbon boards, as well as designated areas for students, fans and donors. Four open-air suites also are planned.
“This facility will have an undeniable impact on the fabric of the college,” said Richard Johnson, athletic director at Wofford. “It will be a game-changer for Wofford and Spartanburg.”
The college said the Benjamin Johnson Arena will continue to be used for intramural and campus recreation activities.
For more information, visit: wofford.edu.
