Photo used with permission of Greenville Triumph SC
A big part of Greenville’s culture is its enthusiasm for its local sports teams. If you’ve been in Greenville for any length of time you’ve probably heard of the Drive, Triumph and the Swamp Rabbits, Greenville’s three professional minor league teams. Locals like to show their support by sporting team bumper stickers on their cars, wearing team jerseys, and of course, attending games. With a baseball, a soccer and a hockey team, Greenville has a sport for every season.
The Greenville Drive — Baseball
What’s a Greenville summer without going to Fluor Field to watch a Drive game? Going out to the ball game is a favorite local pastime, thanks to the family-oriented atmosphere tailor-made to create the perfect game day experience. Start your day at the game with a city-provided trolley ride to the game from nearby parking lots. Snag a pretzel or a hot dog from one of the many on-site vendors, too, and take a seat in the Fluor Field stadium, which is modeled after the Red Sox’s Fenway Park. A fitting tribute since the Drive is the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
The Drive started in Columbia, South Carolina, under the team name Capital City Bombers in 1993. The team moved to Greenville in 2005 and renamed itself to the Drive around the same time. Since then, the Drive’s games have been central to the Greenville experience, with a season stretching from May to mid-September.
Interested in seeing a game? Purchase tickets online.
Greenville Triumph — Soccer
Triumph is the newest team to the Greenville sports scene. Founded in 2017, Greenville Triumph SC is the city’s first professional soccer team. Getting Greenville a professional soccer club was a grassroots effort supported by petitions, vocal enthusiasm and investment from local soccer fans. You’ve probably seen their green-and-blue logo at least once, either on a bumper sticker or a poster or jersey hung in a local restaurant.
Greenville Triumph holds a special place in the hearts of the BJU community. In 2019, BJU partnered with Triumph, offering the University’s playing fields and athletic facilities to the team for practice and training. According to Jonny Gamet, BJU Bruins assistant athletic director, the partnership is going strong “as they grow their team and organization, and they will continue to use BJU until they are able to move to their own permanent home here in the Upstate.”
The soccer club’s playing season lasts from April until October. Purchase tickets online.
Greenville Swamp Rabbits — Hockey
Don’t let Greenville’s semi-tropical climate fool you — we’re home to avid hockey fans and our own team. Greenville’s hockey team has the longest history, starting with its beginnings as the Johnstown Chiefs in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1987. In 2010, the team moved from Pennsylvania to play in Greenville’s BI-LO center (now the Bon Secours Wellness Arena) and rebuilt itself as the Greenville Road Warriors. It wasn’t until 2015 that the team rebranded to become the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The Bon Secours Wellness Arena downtown still serves as their home rink.
The Swamp Rabbits also have the longest playing season, stretching from October until April with around 50 games on their 2021–2022 schedule. Purchase tickets online.
Catch up on our Around Greenville series to see more of what our city and the area around it has to offer.
