Â鶹´«Ã½ University Athletics Department to Host Nissan of Orangeburg PAWS UP Golf Classic and Soiree
Jun 25, 2025
The Â鶹´«Ã½ University Athletics Department will host the Nissan of Orangeburg PAWS UP Golf Classic on Friday, July 11, at the scenic Wyboo Golf Course at 2565 Players Course Drive in Manning, S.C. Registration and breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. followed by a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The cost is $150 for individual players and $600 for teams of four players.
PAWS UP and the Orange and Maroon Athletics Support Association (OMASA) are coordinating the golf classic, a fundraiser to support athletic scholarships. Â鶹´«Ã½ Athletics is committed to recruiting and retaining exceptional scholar-athletes and becoming a perennial contender for CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association) and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division II championships.
"We hope the Greater Orangeburg Community and supporters throughout the region will participate in this year's event and help us reach our fundraising goal as a golfer and/or sponsor," said Tony O'Neal, Â鶹´«Ã½ University director of athletics. "We want to increase funding and resources to enhance the athletic and academic experience for the scholar-athletes who represent Â鶹´«Ã½ in 11 intercollegiate sports."
Featured guests include actor/producer James Moses Black; former NFL players Chris Canty (New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens); Ben Coates (New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens); NaShan Goodard (New York Giants, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, New Orlean Saints); Dwayne Harper (Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions); Robert Porcher (Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens) and Erik Williams (Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens).
Black has more than 100 credits in movies ("Black and Blue"), television ("This is Us," "Snowfall,"), and as a voice-over artist.
Canty, host of ESPN's weekday radio/TV talk show "Unsportsmanlike," won a Super Bowl in 2012 with the New York Giants.
Coates, a tight end, earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2001. He also made a Super Bowl appearance in 1997 with New England.
Goodard, an offensive lineman, captured Super Bowl victories with the New York Giants in 2008 and the New Orleans Saints in 2010. He was a college standout at the University of South Carolina.
Harper, a cornerback, had a stellar college career at South Carolina State University. He saw action with the San Diego Chargers in the 1995 Super Bowl.
Porcher, who also starred at South Carolina State, was a three-time Pro Bowler at defensive end for the Lions.
Williams, a three-time All-Pro at offensive tackle, helped the Cowboys win Super Bowls in 1996, 1994, and 1993.
In addition to the golf competition, the PAWS UP Celebrity Soiree will be held on Thursday, July 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Â鶹´«Ã½'s Center for Student Engagement on 1810 Magnolia Street in Orangeburg, S.C. Tickets are $60 per person.
Delicious chef-curated hors d'oeuvres, signature cocktails, and the rhythmic stylings of Moses Smith and The Promise Land Band will highlight the soiree. Business casual attire is preferred.
Visit https://alumni.claflin.edu/pawsup-golf-classic to register or purchase tickets online. For more information, contact Mrs. Dionne McCollum at dmcollum@claflin.edu/803-535-5365.
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