By Tommy Witt ‘24

On a family vacation over the summer, I decided to visit Coastal Carolina University. I became interested in Coastal Carolina after watching college football last year. I noticed the unique teal football turf and decided while in the area, why not take a visit? In addition, any school with a campus situated nine miles away from the beach has my attention.

Coastal Carolina has a student body of just over 10,000 situated in Conway, South Carolina. The athletic teams compete in the Sun Belt conference, which is NCAA Division 1. Coastal Carolina is also fairly easy to get into with an acceptance rate of 79 %.

As we pulled into the university, I was blown away by the sheer beauty. Palm trees and tropical plants lined the walkways. The campus was extremely modern with a new library being constructed as we visited. The warm temperatures year-round don’t hurt, either.

Our first stop was the athletic facilities. I made my way onto the football field, baseball field, and the basketball court. For a nonpower Five school, I was impressed by the size of the facilities, as well as the state-of-the-art machines, jumbotrons, and scoreboards.

Coastal Carolina’s baseball team made the Men’s College World Series for baseball this past year, making them one of the last eight teams standing. Given this success, the university invested in a new state-of-the-art indoor baseball facility.

Next, we made our way into the dorm halls. The setup was beautiful; in between the dorms were picnic tables, two sand volleyball courts, and a basketball court. Every dorm hall was even given a private pool.

As we entered the halls, there were multiple meeting rooms for students. One was a sorority preparing for the upcoming school year. The halls also had a marketplace to buy essentials and food.

The dorm we visited was one of the many freshman dorms named Tradition Hall. The hall included singles, doubles, and even quad rooms. In the quad dorms, there is a split bathroom, containing a shower, community kitchen, and an independent bedroom for each resident.

After visiting the dorm, we visited the Lib Jackson Student Union. The student union serves as a host to a variety of events and student-run clubs and activities. From pool tables to air hockey, the student union is a great way to get away from the stresses of school work. There is a movie theater that runs from six to nine on weeknights. Tickets go for two dollars, even serving free popcorn. There is also a new gaming room for students to enjoy time with friends online.

Overall, I was impressed with the renovations and the beauty of Coastal Carolina. I came in not knowing what to expect, and left amazed by the scenery and the thought that goes into putting students first. As we left, students staying over for the summer seemed to be very happy as they threw a football around in the quad. As the application process of college starts up, I would recommend adding Coastal to your list of schools to visit.