Where is Furman located? Explaining city and more to know about Paladins basketball program
· Yahoo Sports
Where is Furman located? Explaining city and more to know about Paladins basketball program originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Visit fish-roadgame.com for more information.
Nestled in the middle of South Carolina lies Furman University. In the sports world, the home of the Paladins is most known for its 2023 tournament upset of No. 4 Virginia, 68-67, as a 13-seed. Three years later, Furman is back dancing and has drawn No. 2 UConn in the Round of 64.
Outside of its occasional recent NCAA Tournament appearances, not many people know about the history of Furman, including the fact that it is the oldest private university in South Carolina.
Here is an inside look at the small South Carolina school and the history behind this Southern gem.
MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | Full TV schedule | Printable bracket
Where is Furman located?
Furman University is located in Greenville, South Carolina. The school lies just over 30 miles from Clemson University. Furman sits between Asheville, Charlotte, and Atlanta.
The school was founded in 1826 and is the oldest private university in South Carolina, per the university's website. The school is centralized around liberal arts and sciences.
As of fall 2024, Furman's undergraduate population sat at 2,383, according to U.S. News and World Report.
SN EXPERT BRACKETS:DeCourcy (Arizona) | Bender (Michigan) | Iyer (Arizona) | Gay (UCLA women)
What conference is Furman in?
The Furman Paladins, who have 17 varsity sports, compete in the NCAA's Southern Conference. The conference was founded in 1921 and is based in the southeastern region of the United States.
Furman joined the conference in 1936 and has been a member since. The SoCon currently includes 10 teams, which are as follows:
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- The Citadel
- East Tennessee State University
- Furman University
- Mercer University
- Samford University
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Virginia Military Institute
- Western Carolina University
- Wofford College
MORE UPSET PICKS:10 seeds | 11 seeds | 12 seeds | 13 seeds
Furman name origin
The university is named after Richard Furman, who was one of the most important Baptist clergymen during the early decades of America's history, according to the school's website. Furman was a large advocate for educational institutions throughout the country.
Along with the university named after him, Furman was also involved with Brown University, George Washington University, the University of South Carolina, and Mercer University.
MORE REGION PREVIEWS: East | West | Midwest | South
Furman NCAA Tournament history
Throughout its history, Furman has played in eight NCAA Tournaments. It qualified for the Big Dance in 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 2023 and 2026.
In the 2023 tournament, as a 13-seed, Furman defeated 4-seed Virginia, 68-67, in the opening round before losing to San Diego State in the second round.
In the 2026 tournament, Furman qualified as the Southern Conference champion and was named a 15-seed to face 2-seed UConn.