Gamecocks adding Ray Tanner’s name to Founders Park field

South Carolina is naming its baseball field after athletics director and legendary coach Ray Tanner.

The school announced Friday that the field at Founders Park will be known as Ray Tanner Field. It’s the first USC athletics surface to carry the name of a former coach or student-athlete.

The Founders Park name won’t change. USC just extended Founders’ naming rights through 2035. If anything, the school could begin calling it Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park.

Tanner coached baseball for 16 seasons at USC and won two national championships before retiring and becoming the school’s athletic director.

A dedication ceremony for the naming distinction will take place in the opening weekend of the 2025 baseball season set for Feb. 14-16. Per USC, “a group of Gamecock Athletics donors collectively gave $2.5 million for the naming to take place.”

“This is a tremendous gesture from my friends and donors,” Tanner said in a statement. “I am grateful for their commitment to this project. Our baseball program is one of the best in the nation and will continue to compete for championships as we begin the Paul Mainieri era at USC.”

Tanner announced in September that he will be moving into a new role as senior advisor to the president. He will remain on as athletic director until a new AD is found.

Tanner went 738-316 with six College World Series appearances, winning 2010 and 2011 national championships and national runners-up finishes in 2002 and 2012.

The Gamecocks made 14 NCAA tournament appearances under Tanner, advancing to 10 Super Regionals. USC won three SEC regular season championships (2000, 2002 and 2011), the 2004 SEC Tournament and six SEC East titles (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012).

His No. 1 South Carolina baseball jersey was retired in 2013.