FB: Southern Athletic Association

[jknezek]

Miles campus is only 6 miles from B-SC. Yes, it's running 2 campuses, but it's not like they are cities apart. Honestly, there are many schools with campuses where going from one academic building to another can be more than 6 miles. The goal is definitely not to move Miles from the current campus to B-SC's, it's to grow Miles to use both campuses.

I have said multiple times that if Alabama A&M got B-SC, Miles was sunk. Two HBCU campuses, 6 miles apart, one private and one state school. It just isn't feasible for Miles.

That being said, this is a big leap for a school with 1500 students. You are going to have to pretty much double enrollment, in very short order, plus add all the staff to go along with it, for this to make sense. Currently Miles accepts basically 50% of applicants, and 24% choose to go, though I've seen some wild variation in those stats so I'm not sure how accurate they are.

Regardless, that's going to make it hard to fill another campus. To double your yield, you'd have to let in everyone who can fog a check, basically. That's not going to look good.

I still hate everything about this. UAB should have lined up to buy B-SC as an honors campus, but I'm 100% sure the UA system was not going to allow UAB to compete with Tuscaloosa that way.

[Hawks88]

BSC's primary concern is to get enough money to pay off the various debts they owe.

It was reported that Alabama A&M's offer was reported to be 52 million. Supposedly that is 30 million over the debt they owe.

It looks as though Alabama A&M has increased their offer to $65.5 million.
https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2024/06/alabama-am-official-655-million-offer-for-birmingham-southern-college.html

[Ron Boerger]

Yes, but only $35.5M of that is cash with $30M devoted to an ill-defined "maintenance" activity.

[CNU85]

Yes, but only $35.5M of that is cash with $30M devoted to an ill-defined "maintenance" activity.

Hmmm...but if it covers the debt and you're closing anyway, do the outgoing board members really care after that?

[Hawks88]

The article doesn't have any details on the Miles bid to purchase the BSC campus but they seem to have the inside track at this point.

https://www.al.com/news/2024/07/alabama-am-bid-to-buy-birmingham-southern-campus-fails.html

[Ralph Turner]

Sewanee gets a Cameo in this week's SEC Shorts.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/3585263405117165

(Most of us on this page may be familiar with this website when we are watching teams of alternate allegiances.)

[awadelewis]

That video has generated a reasonable amount of laughter in our alumni social media channels.   They certainly hit the stereotype.

[BSCpanthers]

They have referenced Sewanee more than a few times in their videos over the years. 

[Ron Boerger]

Southwestern coach Joe Austin yesterday announced on Xitter that he was stepping down to take care of family issues (parents, wife and daughter). The school has (as of yet) not acknowledged the resignation.

The university on July 9th kicked off a fundraising effort with an initial $3M grant (and challenge) to build a new multi-purpose sports complex on the site of the current football practice field east of campus.  The initial goal seems to be $6M.  This may or may not be part of the ongoing $150 "Thrive" fundraising effort which to date has raised nearly $140M of its $150M goal, with nearly a year still to go. 

[Ron Boerger]

Didn't take the conference long to find a replacement for B-SC.  Maryville joins in 2026-27 and football and women's golf join as affiliates a year sooner.

[jknezek]

I wonder where Maryville is getting the cash for those road trips? But it's nice for their rep to get in a conference with those institutions. Still, they are building kind of an interesting eastern spine. Centre, Berry, Sewanee, Maryville, Ogelthorpe. Or a southeast group if you add Rhodes and Millsaps. Trinity and Southwestern... uggh.

But it does bridge the Centre to the southeast gap. Originally I thought this expanded the footprint, but looking at a map, Centre is actually not far from Maryville. At least not as the crow flies. Millsaps and, especially, the Texas schools are still an issue of course, but that's not much different from when B-SC was in the conference.

[CNU85]

Wow....just looking at the map. To get from KY and the far eastern part of TN to the schools in TX....over 1,000 miles. That's a ton of travel, hotels and meals cost. I thought the CNU to Trine game to open the season was a tough arrangement at 700 miles.

Imagine the sports like basketball that have home and away matchups every year.

But I'm just a fan. I'm sure everyone in the decision making process has already figured out how to make it happen in the best possible way. From a conference standpoint, I think MC is a better fit for the SAA.

[awadelewis]

It's a good addition to the conference.  Maryville already has history with a bunch of the schools in our league.  A bunch of our games with them over the years have been quite chippy and them joining our league adds a little extra spice to our opening game this year at Maryville.

[BSCpanthers]

Nice add, close to Berry, Sewanee and Centre.  Also gives Huntingdon another OOC game that isn't a 1000 miles away.  Just keep them on schedule once they leave their current conference.  It's a shame, I would have really enjoyed this road game as an excuse to spend a fall weekend in the mountains. 

[awadelewis]

Per updates from College Football News Daily on X, legal teams have found a loophole in the original SEC charter that any founding member of the conference is free to rejoin the conference if they ever leave.   The door is still open for Sewanee but I don't think we will be leaving the SAA anytime soon.