Charleston Business and Vacation Information

Professional Sports
Charleston SC

Professional sports is represented in Charleston by 3 teams and 4 different sports venues. The Riverdogs,(Baseball) The Stingrays (Hockey) and The Charleston Battery (Soccer) and the Family Circle (Tennis).

Baseball

The facility is unique in several ways – visually, of course – however, its uniqueness stems from the relationships fostered by the City of Charleston, the state of South Carolina (The Citadel) and a private enterprise (RiverDogs).

In 2005 the RiverDogs become the Class A affiliate of the then 26-time World Series Champions New York Yankees. As part of the Yankees organization and playing the 10th season at The Joe, in 2006, the RiverDogs again exceeded the attendance record by hosting 267,908 fans to baseball, family fun, and entertainment.

The facility is named for the long-time mayor of Charleston, Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Mayor Riley, an avid baseball fan, is often in attendance having escaped the pressures of directing one of ’s most historic cities. He is one of the city’s great promoters of the game of baseball, and despite his objections, city council voted unanimously to name the facility in his honor.

Riley Park was designed by HOK Sports, of Kansas City, MO., known primarily for their work at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore), Jacobs Field (Cleveland) and Coors Field (Denver), among many others Click on the following link to review the Riverdog schedule for 2010

Directions to Joe Reily Stadium
Home of the Charleston Riverdogs

Hockey

Located at the North Charleston Coliseumon Montague Ave off of I526 in North Charleston

Professional Sports Minor League Hockey Team are members of the ECHL which began play in 1993. The team's ownership group included Marcel Dionne, but was sold shortly afterwards to a local investment group led by Edward Pearlstine, owner of Pearlstine Distribution, the owner of the local Budweiser Distributor.

The Stingrays are the current ECHL Kelly Cup Champions. The 2009 championship, won following a seven-game final against the Alaska Aces, along with championships in 1997 and 2001, tie them with the Hampton Roads Admirals for the most Kelly/Riley Cup wins in league history. Alongside the Idaho Steelheads, they are one of only two active ECHL teams to win multiple league championships. They are also the first ECHL team and one of three overall to win both a regular season and postseason championship in the same year, with the Alaska Aces (2006) and Cincinnati Cyclones (2008) later accomplishing the feat. Click on the following link to view the Stingrays Hockey schedule for 2010

Directions to North Charleston Coliseum
Home of the Charleston Stingrays

Soccer

Completed in April 1999, Blackbaud Stadium became the first privately-funded soccer-specific stadium in the United States. Styled after the classic English soccer experience, the stadium seats 5,100 and offers fans an unmatched environment with superb sight-lines, concessions, a children's interactive soccer theme park, and even a plush English-styled pub, The Three Lions. It is home to the Professional Sports Team The Charleston Battery.

Additionally, the complex includes sky boxes, a plaza for corporate entertaining, and state-of-the-art media capabilities, making it one of the premier professional soccer venues in the U.S. and a prototype for all future soccer-specific stadiums yet to come.

The Battery were formed in 1993 as a member of the PDSL, and joined the A-League (now USL First Division) in 1997. The team's home, Blackbaud Stadium, built in 1999, was the first professional soccer specific stadium in the USL First Division. The Battery won the PDSL championship in 1996, defeating the Charlotte Eagles 3-2 and the A-League championship in 2003, defeating the Minnesota Thunder 3-0 to win the title. The Battery qualified for the U.S. Open Final match for the first time in club history in 2008, playing against Major League Soccer team DC United.[2] In the final the Battery conceded an early goal but bounced back with a quick-fire equaliser through an Ian Fuller goal, assisted by Chris Williams. Later in the half Lazo Alavanja hit the post but at half time the scores were tied at 1-1. At the start of the second half Charleston conceded early again and that's how it stayed, DC winning 2-1. However, in the final seconds of 2nd half extra time Marco Reda put the ball in the back of the net for Charleston, only to have the goal controversially disallowed for an alleged offside.

As of June 1, the Battery has made an impressive start to the 2009 USL-1 season, recording 7 wins, 6 ties and not a single loss.

The Battery's official supporters' group is called the Regiment. The Battery's most passionate fans stand in section E10.

The Battery competes for the Coffee Pot Cup every time it faces their rival team DC United of Major League Soccer. The trophy was established by the two sides' supporters. Charleston Battery Soccer schedule for 2010

To get directions to Blackbaud Stadium
Click here

Tennis

In 2001, the Family Circle Cup made a bold move to secure its success for the future. After 28 years in Hilton Head, the tournament moved to a new home in Charleston, South Carolina. This partnership between the City of Charleston and Family Circle magazine is the first of its kind in women's tennis. Family Circle magazine is the first title sponsor to partner with city and county municipalities to build a tennis facility of this stature. This state-of-the-art facility not only serves as the home for one of the Premier Events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, but also provides residents of greater Charleston access to one of the finest tennis facilities in the southeast.

Every spring, the City of Charleston and Daniel Island serves as a backdrop to one of the richest and most traditional events in women's professional tennis. The Family Circle Cup, one of twenty Premier Events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, has a roster of past champions that include some of the biggest names in the history of women's tennis including Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Steffi Graf, Gabriela Sabatini, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams, Justine Henin, and Serena Williams.

As one of the hottest tickets in professional sports, the Family Circle Cup is more than just a tennis tournament it’s a festival with some world-class tennis thrown in. During the week, fans are entertained with a variety of activities aimed at making their week on Daniel Island a memorable one. It’s an action packed nine days filled with high-level tennis and a host of other activities that have been created for all age groups from children to senior citizens.

The Family Circle Cup, one of the most traditional events in women's tennis, will continue to cement itself as an annual institution in Charleston, a city that is truly one of America's most historic treasures.

The Family Circle Cup boasts a prize money purse of $700,000. Over fifty players compete for a piece of that purse each year and battle for one of the most coveted trophies in women’s tennis - when that is at stake, it is all business on the court.

Where most sporting events settle for status quo, the Cup continues to strive for excellence. The future of women's professional tennis is as bright as ever, and the Family Circle Cup will continue to be its shining star. For Family Cup and other stadium events click here.