- Lloyd Brown
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium – Wofford Terriers
Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium 601 Cummings St Spartanburg, SC 29303
Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium website
Year Opened: 2017
Capacity: 3,400
Terriers’ Terrific New Home
Wofford College is a small liberal arts college located in Spartanburg, SC. It was founded in 1854 and is one of the few pre-Civil War college campuses operating in the same location. The Methodist-affiliated school has a student body of only 1,650 students and is rated very highly academically.
The athletic teams at Wofford are known as the Terriers and they compete in the Southern Conference of NCAA basketball. This conference includes schools such as Furman, UT-Chattanooga, VMI, The Citadel and Mercer. Basketball has been played at Wofford since 1915, and previously was housed in the Andrews Field House (1929-1980) and the Benjamin Johnson Arena (1981-2016). The Terriers have made four NCAA appearances since 2010.
Food & Beverage 4
Richardson Indoor Stadium has concession stands on each of the four corners of the concourse. In addition, the Club 51 boosters/season ticket holders have their own separate food and beverage service. The student section typically visits the Boneyard area for its concession needs. This setup assures that there will not be a long wait for your food and drinks no matter where you are seated in the venue.
The general menu an prices include chicken sandwiches ($6.50), chicken tenders ($9), BBQ pork sandwiches ($6.50), corn dog combo ($6), hot dogs ($4), pizza ($5), candy ($3), popcorn ($3), chips ($2), nachos ($5) and pretzels ($3). Beverages include Coca-Cola brand sodas ($3.50), bottled water ($2.50), Gold Peak Tea ($4), lemonade ($4) and energy drinks ($4).
Atmosphere 5
The Wofford Terriers basketball program is the top dog in the Southern Conference as far as facilities with the opening of the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The 3,400-seat arena on the Wofford campus opened on November 10, 2017 with a men’s game against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. It took the place of the Benjamin Johnson Arena, which the school had outgrown attendance-wise.
The Richardson Indoor Stadium features two levels of chair back seating and lower level bench seating in one end zone for the student body. The other end of the court includes additional chair back seating, the entrance plaza and, concessions area, where fans have a bird’s eye view overlooking the court. The facility is outfitted with four large video boards instead of a center hung scoreboard and ribbon boards down each sideline along the front of the upper level seating. There are four open air suites located in each corner of seating bowl.
Richardson Indoor Stadium Video Boards, Photo by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey
Unlike many basketball facilities, the Richardson Indoor Stadium receives a great deal of natural light through windows at the front entry plaza and along the concourses on each side of the court. This design is in keeping with the architecture found throughout the campus. Shades are used for day games to prevent any interference from sunlight shining on the court. Another unique feature are the two areas of the arena set aside for the fans. The Boneyard Lounge is set aside for the student body during breaks in the action, while Club 51 is designated for use by alumni.
Neighborhood 3
Wofford University is in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is located midway in between Charlotte, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina along I-85, and only one hour from Asheville, North Carolina via I-26. It has often been known as the “Hub City” due to its strategic location for commerce. It should come as no surprise that two of the city’s main attractions relate to transportation.
Spartanburg is home to the only BMW Museum in the country, as well as the Hub City Railroad Museum. When dining in the South, BBQ is a must, and you will find the best in Spartanburg at Pig Out BBQ. Lodging near Wofford is plentiful due to its location near the interstate. Both the Comfort Inn on Candlenut Lane and the Holiday Inn Express on Spartan Boulevard provide excellent accommodations at reasonable prices.
Fans 4
The Terriers have a very loyal fan base. The Richardson Indoor Stadium is only a block off Fraternity Row, and the Greeks make their presence known at every game. Wofford also has a large alumni base in Spartanburg, as well as nearby Greenville, SC and Charlotte, NC. Helping to lead the cheers is Boss, the school’s Terrier mascot, with assistance from the Wofford Pep Band. The athletic department also utilizes the ribbon board and the four video boards to coordinate the cheers. The student section at the Indoor Stadium is positioned right behind one of the baskets, and the students use a variety of hand movements and props to break the opposition’s concentration.
Access 4
Wofford University and the Richardson Indoor Stadium are easily accessed via I-85 or I-26. From I-85:Take exit #69 onto I-85-BL and proceed to exit 4 (Asheville Highway) Turn right on Asheville Highway. At the roundabout take the second exit onto SC Highway 56/Asheville Highway. At the fork in the road, bear left onto US 221/SC56/North Church Street. Go one block and turn left at Wofford Campus Drive. The street will then enter the Wofford campus and bring you directly into the game day parking lot for the arena. From I-26: Take I-26 Exit 19B (Business Loop I-85 North Spartanburg), then follow the directions above to Wofford College.
Return on Investment 5
An evening out at a Terriers basketball game will not break your budget. Tickets are $12, and parking is free. The concessions are very reasonably priced. If you are coming from the Charlotte, Greenville or Ashville areas you should not require lodging, as Spartanburg is within commuting distance. If you are staying overnight, lodging in the area averages less than $100 a night. Spartanburg also offers some very reasonably priced dining options for a pre or post game meal.
Extras 5
The Richardson Indoor Stadium is named for Jerry Richardson, a Wofford graduate, who is the former owner of the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. The Panthers use the Wofford football facilities for their preseason training camp.
The new arena has brought some of the top basketball programs in the country to play on Wofford’s home court in the short period of time the facility has been open. Both the University of South Carolina and the North Carolina Tar Heels visited the Terriers in the venue’s inaugural season.
The toughest ticket to get every season is for the rivalry game against the Furman Paladins. The two schools are only 30 miles apart and both compete in the Southern Conference.
In addition to the basketball area, the Richardson Indoor Stadium also houses a 350-seat volleyball competition venue.
Wofford is a very green campus. Most of the campus has achieved arboretum status.
Final Thoughts
The Wofford Terriers have the best home court advantage in the Southern Conference thanks to the opening of the Richardson Indoor Stadium. It's close to the court seating, state of the art electronic graphics package and luxury seating far exceeds what you would expect from a school in one of the smaller conferences. Wofford has also done a terrific job in ensuring that the exterior design of the venue is very much in keeping with the architecture of the surrounding campus.