Spartanburg, South Carolina
🏀 Wofford Terriers

A new wave of high-class, retro arenas has been sweeping the Southeast over the last decade, and the facilities at Wofford College might be considered the progenitor of this trend. Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium opened in 2017 as the home of Wofford’s basketball and volleyball squads, known as the Terriers. The 3,400-seat venue replaced the aging Benjamin Johnson Arena, which had served as the home court for the school since 1981.

The “indoor stadium”, as it’s been dubbed, is named for Wofford mega-donor Jerry Richardson, an alumnus who played football for the Terriers and later founded the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. It was Richardson’s multi-million dollar gift which helped fund the new arena in its entirety.

Rich, white limestone dominates both the interior and exterior of the building, contrasted nicely by black frames and accents. A large entryway that’s decked with marble also greets fans upon their arrival, adding to the opulent feel of the gym. Inside the bowl, four open suites in each corner offer a bit of a premium experience, and oft-unused upper decks hang over either side of the court. The floor itself is of note too, bearing a parquet design that seems to have fallen by the wayside in the modern era.

Although Wofford, a member of the Southern Conference, has only competed in Division I basketball since 1997, they’ve appeared in the NCAA Tournament on six occasions. The team’s only postseason win in the Big Dance came in 2019 with their handy defeat of Seton Hall, sending them to their first – and still only – Round of 32 matchup. Wofford’s success during this period is thanks in part to Fletcher Magee, a standout guard who was repeatedly named SoCon Player of the Year and is one of the best to ever play at the school. The Terriers also seem to have the number of many of the major schools in the Carolinas, including UNC and South Carolina, whom they’ve both beaten twice.