Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Winthrop Coliseum 1162 Eden Terrace Dr Rock Hill, SC 29730
Year Opened: 1982 Capacity: 6,100
Rock the Hill
Winthrop began their basketball program in 1978 as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). As NAIA members, the Eagles would enjoy immediate success under the program’s first coach, Neild Gordon, who would guide the Eagles to a 140-100 NAIA record, before making the jump to the NCAA’s Division I as members of the Big South Conference.
Since joining the Big South, the Eagles have established themselves as the dominant basketball program in the conference – Winthrop has more than twice as many tournament titles (13) than its next closest Big South rival, Asheville (6).
The Eagles garnered national attention in the late 1990s into the early 2000s under coach Gregg Marshall, winning seven Big South Conference titles in Marshall’s nine years in Rock Hill. The 2006 NCAA Tournament would see the 15th seeded Eagles give the # 2 Tennessee Volunteers all they could handle in a 63-61 last second comeback victory by the Vols. The Eagles breakthrough would come the following season, however, as 11th seeded Winthrop upset the # 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, before falling to the 3rd seeded Oregon Ducks.
Food & Beverage 3
Concession stands at Winthrop Coliseum have a limited menu, serving nachos with cheese dip, hot dogs, and popcorn. Candy, crackers, chips, along with Coca-Cola soft drinks and Powerade are also available. Stands around the concourse also serve walking tacos, burgers, and fried chicken sandwiches from Freddy’s, as well as sweets from local confectioners; ice cream shops are also available.
Beers from the Budweiser family, as well as various Bud Light Seltzers, are also available at carts and stands around the concourse. Alternatively, those looking for a taste of the area’s craft beers will want to head to The Eagle’s Nest beer garden, which highlights beers from around York County, South Carolina.
Atmosphere 3
Winthrop Coliseum was completed in the early 1980s, and while it does have a bit of that feel to it, the arena certainly is still a viable college basketball facility.
The arena has a center hung scoreboard, but it does seem to be a bit underutilized – it primarily displays graphics, runs ads, and implores the crowd to get loud. It does not provide game information, such as score, game time, or individual player statistics (that game information can instead be found on the more traditional gym scoreboards affixed to the walls at each end of the arena).
Timeouts are typically filled with pieces from the pep band, which goes a long way in creating a traditional college basketball ambiance within the arena. The second half interlude seems to be a fan favorite, however – a video of the cheerleaders at various locations around campus plays on the center hung videoboard, and they lead the crowd through a series of dance moves set to techno beats.
Winthrop Coliseum also does a good job making use of its space. A children’s play area, donors lounge, and beer garden have been fit into what typically would be underutilized spaces around the exterior concourse, which has been re-purposed to give fans extra amenities the coliseum otherwise does not have room for.
Neighborhood 3
Most of Winthrop’s athletic facilities are located just over a mile from campus, separated by a well-maintained, residential neighborhood.
Rock Hill has a concentration of craft breweries just over 2 miles from Winthrop Coliseum in downtown Rock Hill. The area also has several restaurants, as well as the Main Street Children’s Museum. A bit further away is The Pump House restaurant, which has a rooftop patio, overlooking the Catawba River. For those so inclined, the Carolina Thread Trail also runs along the river’s banks.
Expanding the area a bit more, Rock Hill is roughly 30 minutes south of Charlotte, North Carolina and all that city has to offer.
Fans 3
The Eagles have averaged just under 1,500 fans per game over the last three seasons, putting them in the top quarter of the Big South in attendance.
Winthrop has a decent student turnout, filling a good portion of the student section at the visitors end of the floor, but other than a handful of students seated next to the band, many seem to be passively engaged with the game. A lot of credit needs to go to the pep band, who in addition to their responsibilities setting the atmosphere, do a great job simply being involved in the highs and the lows of the game as well.
Access 3
Winthrop Coliseum is just over three miles to the east of Interstate-77, which runs locally between Columbia, South Carolina and nearby Charlotte. The trip is a bit more challenging if coming via I-85 to the west from Atlanta, Greenville, or Spartanburg, with close to a 45-minute drive on State Road 5.
The Coliseum is part of Winthrop’s off campus athletic complex, which is easy enough to access upon arrival.
The arena has both an interior and exterior concourse. The exterior concourse, which is out of sight of the court, is a serviceable way to navigate the arena, though a handful of features set up on it make it not completely navigable. The interior concourse runs completely around the top of the seating area, and is probably the best option to use to get to your seats, but that concourse is rather narrow to the point that traffic heading in the opposite directions probably needs to go single file.
Return on Investment 4
With the exception of Homecoming Weekend, typically the first weekend home basketball game, parking in the lots around Winthrop Coliseum is free.
Ticket prices usually start at $15 for adults and $10 for kids 10+. Games hosted over holiday breaks can be purchased for a buy one-get one offer of $15, before a nominal convince charge of less than $2 is added per ticket.
Concession rates at Winthrop Coliseum are consistent with what would be expected at most similar-sized arena concession stands.
Extras 4
The back, exterior concourse houses a kids play area that includes a large inflatable Winthrop chair, cornhole, and other kid-centered activities.
Winthrop’s mascot, Big Stuff, makes his way around the stands, greeting visitors and taking photos with what must seem like an endless number of fans; Big Stuff definitely adds to the enjoyment of the experience.
The locker of Deandre Adams has been preserved, and is displayed on the main concourse, near the main entry point into Winthrop Coliseum. Adams was the point guard of the 2007 NCAA tournament team which advanced to the Round of 32 – Adams unfortunately passed away in an automobile accident the summer following the Eagles’ tournament run.
Post game, players, coaches, staff, and the spirit squad gather in front of the band to sing the Winthrop alma mater; It is always nice to see programs still show their pride in the name across the front of the jersey they put on and represent.
Final Thoughts
Winthrop Coliseum itself might not have all the modern amenities found at other venues around the conference, but what it does have is a fun college basketball atmosphere that highlights what makes college basketball such a special event, from the spirited pep band and the adjacent student section, to the thought and creativity to provide fans more than just a basic college basketball experience.
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