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Athletics

Athletics

SC State Bulldogs Athletics

The SC State Bulldogs Athletic program offers six men’s sports and eight women’s sports as a member of the Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Main Athletics Office: 803-533-3793

Visit the SC State Athletics Website

Points of Pride

Women's Tennis Team
  • SC State is the only school in the state of South Carolina with four (4) Pro Football Hall of Famers.
  • A rich tradition in athletics, SC State has produced over 100 All-Americans, 25 MEAC Hall of Famers, 15 SC Athletic Hall of Famers and over 300 All-MEAC First Team Selections, to name a few.
  • The SC State Bulldog football team has won a league-record 18 MEAC titles in school history (2021, 2019, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2004, 1994, 1983, 1982, 1981, 1980, 1978, 1977, 1976, 1975, and 1974). The university has also produced sixth (60) National Football League draft picks and 125 NFL performers.
  • Also, on the team side, SC State has captured over 17 National Black Championships (5 Basketball, 6 Football, 3 Swimming, and 3 Golf), as well as two unqualified national titles (1979 AIAW Div. II Basketball and 1982 AIAW Div. II Track & Field).
  • South Carolina State is also the home of over 100 Conference Championships (18 Football, 17 Basketball (Men/Women), 21 Track & Field/XC (Men/Women), 34 Tennis (Men/Women), 5 Golf (Men), 5 Wrestling, 3 Swimming, 2 Volleyball and 1 Baseball).
  • The university’s volleyball team made an historic run in 2010, winning the MEAC championship and making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship, while capturing the second title in school history.
  • The Bulldog men’s and women’s tennis teams have been dominant in the MEAC and around the country, having won a combined 34 league championships in the last 21 seasons under two-time USTA Coach of the Year Hardeep Judge. 
  • SCSU has a strong legacy of participation in the Super Bowl. Bulldog players have participated in twenty-two (22) of the fifty-seven (57) Super Bowls played. On three occasions, SC State was represented on both sides of the ball. Overall, fourteen (14) former SCSU football standouts have played in the Super Bowl. The first Bulldog to play in the Super Bowl was Greenwood, SC native John Gilliam (WR), who was a member of the Minnesota Vikings teams that played in Super Bowl VIII (1974) and Super Bowl IX (1975). The latest Bulldog to play in the Big Game was Javon Hargrave (DT), a Salisbury, NC native and a member of the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl LVII (2023) squad."

Tickets

Tickets for all Bulldogs Athletics events are available online.

Facilities

Track and field

Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center (Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball)
Oliver C. Dawson Stadium (Football, Women’s Soccer)
Stadium Photo
Football Locker Room
SC State Weight Facility
Dukes Gymnasium (Women's Volleyball, Intramural Sports)
Lorry H. Dawkins Track Facility (Men’s and Women’s Track & Field)
Hardeep Judge Tennis Center (Men's and Women's Tennis)
Lady Bulldog Softball Field (Women’s Softball)
Athletic Training Room

 

Meet the Athletics Director

Former South Carolina State University head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough is nterim director of athletics at the university. Pough leads Bulldog athletics during the university’s national search for a new director of athletics.

A two-time SC State graduate, Pough is a highly accomplished and respected figure in the realm of college football, having served as SC State’s head football coach for 22 years. He is the winningest head football coach in SC State history.

His remarkable tenure led the team to victory as three-time National MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Champions.

Pough ranks among the top coaches in the 53-year history of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, as well as in the HBCU family. His record includes 15 winning campaigns, three MEAC Coach of the Year honors, two National Coach of the Year awards, and two national HBCU titles.

His teams captured three MEAC titles (2008, 2009 & 2021) outright, shared five others (2004, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2019), and made four trips to the prestigious FCS playoffs (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013).

Pough also briefly served as interim athletics director in late 2023 and again in 2025.

Contact Information

Oliver "Buddy" Pough
Interim Director of Athletics
opough@scsu.edu 
803-536-3793
Staley Hall