U. South Alabama trustees to vote on adding football

December 3, 2007

Mobile, AL (CSTV U-WIRE) -- University of South Alabama President V. Gordon Moulton is expected to recommend the implementation of an NCAA-sanctioned football program at the University during the Dec. 6 board of trustees meeting.

"The president feels very comfortable making a recommendation. He feels very comfortable that we have done our homework," said Keith Ayers, director of public relations for the University of South Alabama.

If the board of trustees accepts the recommendation and positively votes on the issue, an implementation committee is expected to immediately begin work on making NCAA Football at the University a reality.

Football coach and band director may be named as early as the coming spring, according to Ayers.

The first scheduled games may begin as early as the fall of 2009, according to Moulton.

"We are optimistic about a favorable response from the board because [the board members] make it a practice to be up to date with the wants and needs of the students," said Ayers.

"All vital indicators for going forward have turned out positive," added Ayers.

The most important of these vital indicators include student support. To date, the student petition in favor of bringing NCAA Football to campus has been signed by over 2,500 students, according to Jennifer Edwards, SGA president. In the historic halftime presentation of the petition during the Nov. 10 men's basketball game against the University of West Florida, student leaders presented President Moulton with the official presentation, as a crowd of over 3,000 chanted, "We want football!"

The signatures presented at the halftime celebration have all been verified by University officials as being legitimate, non-duplicate student signatures.

However, student support has not been unanimous. In an effort to show their concern aver the implementation of an NCAA Football program at USA, Justine Cauley began an anti-football group on the popular social-networking site Facebook. As of Dec. 2, the group has 143 members. In contrast, the pro-football Facebook group created by Mikey Hendrich has more than 600 members. A second pro-football group, South Alabama Needs NCAA Football, boasts a membership of well over 800.

USA freshman Matthew Peterson has been steadfastly opposed to starting an NCAA Football program at the University.

Peterson has repeatedly expressed concerns that the addition of an NCAA Football program will drain resources from academics. However, President Moulton expects NCAA Football at the University to break even.

Developing an NCAA Football program at the University is expected to cost $1 million to $1.5 million the first year, and the expenses are expected to climb to around $5 million within four years.

The "lion's share" of the cost will be supported by a student fee increase of $100 to $150 per semester. Every $100 in increase is expected to bring in revenues of approximately $3 million, according to Moulton. Additional revenues will come in the form travel guarantees, ticket sales, concessions, donations. city and county support, etc.

Another point of contention of Peterson's is the student fee increase. He has repeatedly argued that even a "vast majority of students has no right to vote away the rest of the people's money." Peterson began collecting signatures for an anti-football petition on Nov. 14. In the two and a half weeks since the kickoff of his petition drive, Peterson estimates that 400 signatures have been collected. In contrast the pro-football petition drive collected more than 700 signatures in its first two days.

Peterson has also started an online anti-football petition. As of Dec. 2, the online petition has 18 signatures.

In spite of resistance from some students, the administration feels confident that most of the students strongly support the addition of an NCAA Football program at the University, according to Moulton.

On Nov. 9, the alumni association unanimously passed a resolution in support of NCAA Football and pledged $50,000 to the program.

Other USA alumni have also taken an active role in showing their support for NCAA Football. USA alum Doug Konkel has recently begun an online petition that gives alumni a chance to show their support for NCAA Football. As of Dec. 2, the alumni online petition has collected 330 verified alumni signatures.

The city and county of Mobile have also given positive indicators of support. The city has expressed a willingness to lend the University the use of Ladd-Peebles Stadium at no cost, according to earlier interviews with Moulton. Negotiations with the city and county are still ongoing but look promising, according to Ayers.

In a non-binding straw vote on Oct. 17, the faculty senate voted in favor of NCAA Football 27 to 4. The vote was a conditional vote in which a yes vote was a show of support for an NCAA Football program so as long as the funding for the program would not come from the University's general operating budget.

Jon Garcia, a USA student and vice president of Students Who Stand, a pro-football student activist organization, is one of many students excited about the coming trustees vote.

"It was awesome to see how everyone pulled together and helped to make this happen. This is a really exciting time for the entire University. The beneficial and positive effects that a football program has on a university and the surrounding community are undeniable," Garcia said.

The online alumni petition can be accessed at http://www.petitiononline.com/usaball/petition.html.

The online anti-football petition can be accessed at http://www.petitiononline.com/USAFootA/petition.html.

Facts about the proposed NCAA Football program can be found on the University's Web site at http://www.southalabama.edu/footballproposal/.

(C) 2007 The Vanguard via CSTV U-WIRE