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Greenville may not be one of the three largest cities within the state of South Carolina, yet it manages to have just about everything that a major city ought to. That not only includes an airport, diverse cuisine, great coffee, art galleries and all sorts of nightlife, but also all sorts of sports-related events, histories and personalities.
No matter your sport of choice, chances are that Greenville has something worthwhile related to it. And if it didn't, the city is not only halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte, but also within driving distance to Nashville, Raleigh, Birmingham, Louisville and Jacksonville. On top of that, among the cities Greenville has direct flights to are New York, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Orlando.
I had the pleasure of visiting Greenville for three days in June 2019, and over the course of the weekend I had the chance to experience the latest and greatest that the city had to offer. Below and on the following pages are reasons why Greenville, South Carolina is a great city for sports fans, while more on Greenville can be found online by visiting www.visitgreenvillesc.com.
#1: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
During my trip to Greenville, I had the pleasure of attending a UFC Fight Night event at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. This event notably featured "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung knocking out Renato Moicano in less than a minute in the main event, in addition to winning appearances by Randy Brown, Andre Ewell, Andrea Lee, and Kevin Holland. Reportedly, this was UFC's first ever live showing within the state of South Carolina.
A multi-purpose arena, Bon Secours Wellness Arena is also the home of the ECHL hockey favorites the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. In recent years, the venue has also hosted WWE live events and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Looking back in history, the Bon Secours Wellness Arena has hosted a 2014 NBA pre-season game between the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets, Clemson Tigers basketball games, the Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament on two occasions, several rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, an SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, and a 2008 Impact Wrestling pay-per-view.
Beyond sports, the Secours Wellness Arena put on concerts by the likes of the Eagles, Metallica, Janet Jackson, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Tool, and Garth Brooks, to name a few key artists. In turn, it is clearly a well-regarded establishment for both sports and entertainment.
#2: Minor League Sports
The earlier-mentioned ECHL hockey favorites the Greenville Swamp Rabbits are not the only local sports heroes in Greenville. For starters, there is the Greenville Drive, a single A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox. The Drive play at Fluor Field within the city's West End.
If football -- or soccer, if you're America -- is more your thing, the Greenville Triumph SC launched earlier this year. Part of the USL League One, the team is coached by former U.S. national team player John Harkes. The team plays at Legacy Early College.
Fans of Gaelic sports may not realize that not only is there a U.S. Gaelic Athletic Association in effect, but that Greenville is the host city of the Greenville Gaels. The hurling and Gaelic football team plays its games at various venues around town, including Pittman Park, Flour Field, and Legacy Early College.
Previously the city had been host to the Greenville Groove of the National Basketball Development League and the Carolina Rhinos football team from the Arena Football League's developmental AF2 league.
#3: College Sports
Greenville does fall into the category of being a "college town" as a result of how many collegiate schools it has in town. This includes Bob Jones University, North Greenville University, Greenville Technical College and Furman University. Greenville also has campuses related to Clemson University and the University of South Carolina.
Of all the schools mentioned, Clemson University is the one most talked about on an international level. Beyond its huge endowment, strong education and consistent academics, Clemson is a popular school when it comes to sports teams. Its football teams plays in the NCAA's Division I, and reportedly all of its athletic programs are part of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Clemson has six national championships, including two for soccer, one for golf and three for football.
Notable graduates of Clemson include former MLB pitcher Kris Benson, PGA U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, two-time Super Bowl champion Dwight Clark, eight-time NFL Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins, popular NFL wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, three-time NCAA All-American (and "Super Bowl Shuffle" participant") William "Refrigerator" Perry and former WWE wrestler Rory McAlister of The Highlanders. In turn, when watching a Clemson game, someone you're watching on the court or field has a strong likelihood of turning pro.
#4: There's Lots To Do Outdoors
As a New Yorker, I am used to it being warm for half the year and cold for the year. This makes it difficult to stay in shape year-round, unless you maintain a gym membership -- or do DDP YOGA -- beyond eating right.
According National Centers For Environmental Information -- formerly the National Climinatic Data Center -- the average high temperature during the winter months of the year is still in the 50s on the Fahrenheit scale. In turn, with some smart layering, you can still cycle, jog and do the needed exercises to maintain peak physical fitness.
During my trip to Greenville, I had the pleasure of riding the full Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail. A 22-mile multi-use trail that has received a multitude of awards, Swamp Rabbit has been called "#1 America’s Best Urban Bike Paths" by Fodor’s Travel, "#3 Best Urban Trail" by USA Today's 10Best series, and "#12 Most Incredible Bike Trail in the U.S." by The Daily Burn.
In addition to the Swamp Rabbit Trail, Greenville also has the Falls Park (including the Liberty Bridge), Cleveland Park (a 122-acre space created in 1922), Legacy Park (around 20 acres), Unity Park (around 60 acres on the city's west side), and McPherson Park (which includes a mini-golf course). Overall, over 700 acres of land is dedicated to parks within Greenville.
#5: The Sports History
As noted, Clemson University has plenty of famous sports-related alumni to speak of. Greenville as a whole is has also been home to the likes of singer/songwriter Edwin McCain, famous singer Peabo Bryson, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, and NBA legend Kevin Garnett.
But with regards to sports history, infamous baseball player Joseph Jefferson Jackson -- better known as "Shoeless" Joe Jackson -- grew up on the outskirts of Greenville. As the legend goes, his nickname even came from a baseball game played in Greenville.
Jackson was ultimately forced out of baseball as a result of controversy, with his guilt still being disputed to date. After leaving baseball, Jackson opened a barbecue restaurant and a liquor store-- named Joe Jackson's Liquor Store -- in Greenville; he opened the liquor store until his death in 1951.
As opened in 2008, you can visit the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library in Greenville. Located near Fluor Field, the Museum is actually housed in the five-room brick house where Jackson lived and died. It is open to the public on Saturdays and available for discretionary private weekday tours.
If you do some research, while visiting Greenville, you can figure out the locations of former homes of the likes of Garnett and other Greenville-related athletes. As a result, you can do a proper city-wide tour of sports-related Greenville landmarks
