The announcement has been made that when the 2025 season begins, the baseball field at Founders Park will bear the name of Athletics Director Ray Tanner, a two-time National Championship Baseball Coach. From now on, the Gamecock baseball field will be known as “Ray Tanner Field.”
On September 27, 2024, officials at the University disclosed an extension to the naming rights agreement with Founders Federal Credit Union, which will last through the 2035 season. The stadium has been referred to as Founders Park since 2016.
“Coach Ray Tanner receiving this honor with the naming of Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park brings great excitement to Founders Federal Credit Union,” expressed Bruce Brumfield, President and CEO of the credit union.
“It is an honor for Founders Park to be associated with Coach Tanner and his impressive legacy. His integrity and commitment to the University of South Carolina make him incredibly deserving of this recognition.”
Tanner’s Legacy as Baseball Coach
A collective donation of $2.5 million from a group of Gamecock Athletics supporters facilitated the naming.
“I attribute the successes I have experienced at the University of South Carolina to the incredible support from our university administration, the Gamecock student-athletes, coaches, staff, and fans,”
Tanner remarked. “This generous gesture from my friends and donors is truly humbling, and I appreciate their dedication to this initiative.
Our baseball program ranks among the best in the nation, and we will continue to compete for championships as we enter the Paul Mainieri era at USC.”
Ray Tanner Field marks the first athletics competition surface at USC to honor a former coach or student-athlete with its name.
Tanner took on the role of South Carolina’s baseball coach on June 14, 1996, following nine successful seasons at North Carolina State, his alma mater.
Throughout his 16-season tenure as head coach of the Gamecocks, Tanner achieved a 738-316 (.700) record, made six appearances in the College World Series, and led the team to NCAA Championships in 2010 and 2011, along with national runner-up finishes in 2002 and 2012.
Under Tanner’s leadership, the program made 14 NCAA tournament appearances and advanced to 10 Super Regionals.
The Gamecocks secured three SEC regular season championships (2000, 2002, and 2011), one SEC Tournament title in 2004, and six SEC East titles (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2011, and 2012).
Leadership as Athletics Director
The Carolina baseball program, under Tanner’s guidance, established an NCAA record for consecutive NCAA Tournament wins (22) and CWS wins (12) from 2010 to 2012, becoming just the sixth school to win back-to-back baseball national titles.
Tanner also gained international experience through his work with USA Baseball, serving in five different capacities, including as the head coach for the USA National Baseball Team in 2003. His accomplishments during that season earned him the title of U.S. National Coach of the Year.
On July 13, 2012, Tanner was appointed South Carolina’s 31st Athletics Director. Recently, on September 13, 2024, the University announced that Tanner would transition from his role as Athletics Director to become Athletics Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor to University President Michael Amiridis.
During Tanner’s leadership as Athletics Director, he prioritized enhancing the student-athlete experience at USC.
He implemented “The Gamecock Student-Athlete Promise,” making the athletics department the first in the SEC to guarantee four-year scholarships for all qualifying sports.
Carolina also pledged to provide each student-athlete with the maximum financial awards permitted following the Alston vs. NCAA Supreme Court decision.
The University has allocated resources for student-athletes to benefit from Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities.
This includes access to NIL compensation-generating opportunities and education on promotion, branding, and business, enabling Gamecock student-athletes to thrive in this evolving landscape of intercollegiate athletics.
Gamecock student-athletes have consistently achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better for 35 consecutive semesters. Since 2015, they have received more SEC Academic Honor Roll distinctions than any other institution.
During Tanner’s term as Athletics Director, the Gamecocks secured four national championships (2015 equestrian, and 2017, 2022, and 2024 women’s basketball), 21 SEC regular season and tournament titles, and recorded five of the top nine finishes in the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup All-Sports Standings in the school’s history.
A dedication ceremony is scheduled for the opening weekend of the 2025 baseball season, taking place from February 14 to 16, 2025.
