University of South Alabama officially adds Football

[Shockerman]

This is an older thread were a few articles have been posted about the process of adding Football. I changed the thread title to correspond with USA making it official. Link and excerpts of article are below in the last repsonse.

Most of us are familiar with USA here on shockernet. They are currently a non Football playing school in the Sun Belt which Western Kentucky is now a full member of.

http://media.www.usavanguard.com/media/storage/paper973/news/2007/09/24/News/Ncaa-Football.Question.reopened-2988316.shtml

NCAA Football question 'reopened'
Jason Shepard
Editor In Chief

Issue date: 9/24/07 Section: News
PrintEmail DoubleClick Any Word Page 1 of 1 In a recent meeting with SGA President Jennifer Edwards, University of South Alabama President Gordon Moulton has "officially reopened the question of NCAA Football at South Alabama," according to Edwards.
Plans are still in a exploratory phase, as some of the details for a concrete proposal are still being worked out, such as negotiating agreeable arrangements with the City of Mobile for use of Ladd Peebles Stadium and other support. However, developments are expected to move quickly. The administration may announce as early as this week a set of definite plans and goals needed to be met to bring NCAA Football to USA.
The administration is considering a student referendum in order to gauge student support. NCAA Football may be accompanied by an increase in student fees, according to Edwards.
If football is going to happen, the administration wants it to happen quick.
"They want a definite 'yes' or 'no' answer by the first of December," Edwards said.
"I'm excited as I can possibly get!" College of Continuing Education Senator Mikey Hendrichs said in reference to the possibility of NCAA Football at the University. Hendrichs is also responsible for the founding of Students Who Stand, a student activist organization whose primary push is to bring NCAA NCAA Football to South Alabama.
"I think it is really awesome to have a [university] president who's willing to listen and talk to his students," Hendrichs said.
Hendrichs wants to encourage the student body to show their support for NCAA Football by showing up to USA Club Football games and wearing red every Friday.
Several years ago, the University of South Alabama considered NCAA Football when the administration made the future of NCAA Football at South Alabama contingent on selling an adequate number of pre-program tickets. With concerns over the guarantee of the program and with inadequate promotion by the University, ticket sells fell well short of the target goal.
"The timing was not right five years ago, but now - well, it may be the right time," said Keith Ayers, director of University of South Alabama Public Relations.
If an NCAA Football program is approved, it is estimated that it will take two to three years before the University will field a team due to recruitment and logistic needs.

[Shockerman]

Here is another article about USA Football. I thought this quote was the most interesting of everything the President had to say. Maybe we should pass this on to Beggs?

http://www.al.com/sports/press-register/index.ssf?/base/sports/1191317314222490.xml&coll=3

Moulton said he was not against football seven years ago, but saw more important issues for the university at that time.

"I was never quote 'opposed' to football," Moulton said. "I was only opposed to doing anything that would distract us from doing some things that could help move this institution to the next rung on the academic ladder.

"I wanted to make sure we had our priorities in the right place. I think we have done some of those things. I also think what the president has to do, should do, is listen to your constituents."

[Anthony2]

He is. He is listening to the 20-25,000 empty seats at Cessna Stadium during most Shocker football games in the 1970s and 1980s.

[SpanglerFan316]

He may also be listening to the fans, like me, who saw a 35-3 WSU halftime lead become a 36-35 loss in 1986.

[rrshock]

He is. He is listening to the 20-25,000 empty seats at Cessna Stadium during most Shocker football games in the 1970s and 1980s.

That may be, but he also has to take into account that college football today is nothing like what it was in those days.

[SpanglerFan316]

"University of South Alabama looking at Football" and I'm looking at a Lamborghini (but I'm not going to buy one). ;-)

[Shockerman]

"University of South Alabama looking at Football" and I'm looking at a Lamborghini (but I'm not going to buy one). ;-)

Looks like they might be buying...or at least the studente might be.

President Moulton addresses NCAA Football
Moulton sits down with The Vanguard to talk about the future of NCAA Football at the University
By: Jason Shepard
Editor in Chief

V: At this point in time, what does it look like is going to have to happen to make NCAA Football happen at the University? Is there a definite plan?

M: I want to clarify something: We will have a very definite plan before we proceed. I will hope to [have a definite plan of action] by early January or the end of this year. That will include issues like additional budgets, arrangements potentially with the city of Mobile for Ladd Stadium, schedules, all those kinds of things will have to be considered.
The critical issues, I think, are student fees,[which are an] indication from the students that they, number one, support football, [and] number two, are willing to pay a certain level of fees. That gives you a major component of the budget. So, that has to be in place. Number two: board of trustee endorsement. The board of trustees has to be convinced that this is in the best interest of the University. So, that has to happen.
Number three: indication from key supporters in the community relative to fundraising ability and our ticket sales. That has to occur. I already mentioned the city and county. So, I think, whenever we can have all of those items in place, then I am willing to recommend to the board that we proceed.

V: Earlier talking about cost, it was mentioned that students are going to be expected to share part of the burden. Do we have any kind of estimate of how much fees may increase?

M: This is based on preliminary numbers, but we think we will have to add between $100 per semester to $150 max. Whether or not we put it all on at once or if we put some on next fall and then increase it more the fall of 2009, that is still to be determined. There are two or three different ways we can do that. We won't have as much cost up front. At the same token, we are going to have to have some facilities being built that will take capital expenditures. I am going to ask Mr. Gottfried and the department of athletics in the next 10 days to construct a preliminary three- or four-year budget. Once we do that, we can feel more comfortable with what range of student fees we will propose.

V: If football does get the green light, how long will it take before we field a team?

M: I would like to field one next fall. My colleagues Mr. Gottfried, Dr. Adams, people who understand the NCAA rules and regulations, say that it is almost impossible. That being the case, I would like to target a year from next fall, which would be 2009.
Now having said that, there are still a lot of communications to be had with the NCAA about what level we will begin and how to progress toward I-A Football. I know that sounds like a simple question to the general public, but it really isn't. The NCAA is a very complicated organization. So, it is a question of whether we play I-AA first. If we do that, right now there is a moratorium on I-AA schools converting to I-A. That will last until 2011. So we will be asking if there are ways we can start transitioning into I-A without getting caught in the moratorium.

Full Article

http://media.www.usavanguard.com/media/storage/paper973/news/2007/10/08/News/President.Moulton.Addresses.Ncaa.Football-3030982.shtml

_________________

[RoyalShock]

$100 - $150 per semester increase in student fees. Sounds about right for an eventual move to FBS (D1-A) level.

I figured it would take half that at WSU to subsidize yearly operating losses at FCS (D1-AA) level.

[Shockerman]

USA football requires student support
Wednesday, October 17, 2007By GEORGE R. ALTMANStaff Reporter

The immediate fate of a University of South Alabama football team depends on how many students sign a petition saying they're willing to pay more activity fees, a university spokesman said Tuesday. "There are many considerations, but a crucial one is that the students themselves must demonstrate overwhelming support," said spokesman Keith Ayers. At least 2,000 students must by Nov. 10 sign a petition in support of a new football program and an activity fee increase from $103 to between $203 and $253 per semester.Though 2,000 signatures doesn't guarantee a new football program, without them, football will not come to the 14,000-student university, Ayers said. If the new program is approved, USA will likely not field a team before fall 2009. The university would count on a fee increase to cover most of the cost of a football program, estimated to be between $4 million and $5 million per year.University of South Alabama faculty are more supportive of the latest plan to bring football to the school, in large part because students would pick up the tab, faculty leaders said. "If football can help pay for itself, then it's fine," said Stephen Morris, a committee chairman on the USA Faculty Senate. "I think the big concern is ... one way or another, it's going to suck money from the university that could pay for academic programs."

Student Government Association President Jennifer Edwards called the proposed $100-$150 fee increase reasonable and added that she thinks students would be willing to shoulder the financial burden and are eager to support a football team. USA men's basketball games last year had an average attendance of 2,978 people per game in the 10,000-seat USA Mitchell Center, according to Ayers. Edwards said she doesn't think comparing basketball attendance to possible football attendance is a fair measure because football is a more popular sport locally.

Full Article:http://www.al.com/news/press-registe...310.xml&coll=3

[tgcshock]

Until Shockerman started posting I never realized how many schools don't have football. Makes us seem more in the mainstream than I thought!

[Shockerman]

MOBILE, Ala. -- The University of South Alabama Board of Trustees unanimously approved the addition of football to the intercollegiate athletic program at its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday. The decision came after a recommendation from President Gordon Moulton based on input from student, faculty, alumni and community groups.
The intention is that the Jaguars will field a team in 2009 with a full transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision by 2013. USA is a charter member of the Sun Belt Conference.In conjunction with the football announcement, the Board also approved the addition of a 200-member marching band program for the Department of Music.The University of South Alabama over the past four decades has grown from a startup urban institution to a comprehensive university with an ever-increasing traditional and residential student body. Throughout the maturing of the institution to its present status as one of Alabama’s fastest growing universities, the issue of NCAA-sanctioned intercollegiate football has arisen at numerous junctures.In 1999, not long after the current administration began, the University responded to requests from some of its constituencies and conducted a formal analysis of the football issue. USA, with the assistance of external consultants, undertook a comprehensive review of the costs and benefits of such a program and gauged community interest through various means, including a season ticket drive. At the time, the University and its board of trustees determined the timing was not right for the addition of NCAA-sanctioned football. As an offshoot of the 1999 process, a club football program was developed at the University.The football issue again arose this summer and was independently fueled by the Student Government Association, The Vanguard student newspaper and a group named “Students who Stand.” During the fall semester, a petition was arranged and over 2,500 signatures were presented to Moulton at the basketball home opener on Nov. 11.“This is an historic day for the University of South Alabama and our athletics department,” Director of Athletics Joe Gottfried said. “With the future of intercollegiate athletics driven by football, we are excited as we enter a new era. College football will have a major impact on our athletics program, our university, Mobile and the surrounding communities.“I want to thank President Moulton and Board of Trustees for their vision to establish football at our institution.”“This is a good day for the Sun Belt Conference,” Commissioner Wright Waters said. “We are prepared to do whatever we can to help South Alabama, including with scheduling. As soon as they get their Division I-A certification, they will walk in automatically as our 10th football member.”The Jaguars will begin their schedule at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in downtown Mobile in the fall of 2009. The 40,000-seat facility is home to the GMAC Bowl and the Senior Bowl, plus numerous high school football games each year.

http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8300&ATCLID=1349218

[RHshoxfan]

Until Shockerman started posting I never realized how many schools don't have football. Makes us seem more in the mainstream than I thought!

It made me realize how many different school's are adding or looking at adding football.