Clemson Athletics lays out vision for updates to Littlejohn Coliseum

The Clemson basketball facilities could soon be receiving a major upgrade.

Clemson Athletics is expected to seek Phase I approval from the Clemson Board for renovations to Littlejohn Coliseum and Swann Pavilion in the coming months.

Littlejohn Coliseum is where the Tigers play their games, while Swann Pavilion is the everyday home of the basketball programs, with coaches’ offices, a practice court and more.

Phase I approval could come as soon as the next board meeting, which is scheduled for April.

“We are working on and expect sometime this spring, perhaps as early as the next Trustee meeting, which is April, for a Phase 1 approval of an addition and expansion for Littlejohn and Swann,” Clemson AD Graham Neff said recently. “Additional practice facility build. That would be for both men’s and women’s basketball. … Continued investment there.”

Currently the men’s and women’s basketball programs share the Littlejohn court and Swann Pavilion court for practices.

However, with Clemson gymnastics set to begin competing in 2024, Littlejohn will be available less for practices. That means that an additional practice gym is needed.

An additional practice court will be a part of the new renovations, which will also include a dining area similar to what the football team has with the paw bistro, expanding recruiting offices and more.

The additional upgrades are coming six-plus years after a $63.5-million project to renovate Littlejohn Coliseum, which was completed in 2016.

“The $63 million investment in Littlejohn and Swann in 2016 was a huge step forward from a facilities standpoint. When I came here in 2013, the basketball programs were in Jervey. I distinctly remember going to Saturday football games where there’s big official visit or recruiting weekends and both men’s and women’s basketball programs were on the corner patios of Littlejohn. It just felt so mid-major, quite frankly,” Neff said.

“So that $63 million investment for Swann and Littlejohn, that’s a first-class ACC caliber facility. Now we’ve been in it five or six years. Great. And it’s been awesome in venue and ops and program.” 

Neff plans to continue to invest in the Clemson basketball programs in other areas, as well.

This past offseason, Clemson hired Billy Donlon as its associate head coach. Donlon was the head coach at Kansas City, prior to coming to Clemson.

The Tigers also added Sean Dixon as an assistant, who was previously at Middle Tennessee.

“Continued facility investment is part of it. Continued staff investment. With men’s basketball had some staff changes and made resources available to Brad to go hire a sitting D-1 head coach in Billy Donlon. A huge part of the equation this offseason. I think Sean Dixon is a star… and they’re on multi-year contracts,” Neff said.

He added that Clemson paid to retain a support staff member, who had other opportunities elsewhere, and the Tigers are committed to providing all of the resources needed for travel, buy games and more.

“We are all in on that level of investment for hoops, and I think we’re seeing some results from that,” Neff said.