FB: Southern Athletic Association

[SagatagSam]

https://twitter.com/greezbock/status/1654145176015626240

Rebecca Griesbach
@greezbock

SB278 just passed unanimously in the full Senate.

A House bill dropped yesterday and will have to go through committee/a full House before the legislation is able to be signed into law.

Checking Legiscan to see where these bills (SB278 and the companion in the House, HB431) stand:  a hearing is scheduled tomorrow (May 24th) before the House Ways and Means committee.  I believe that the committee must approve the bill before it will be sent back to the House for final approval (three readings seem to be necessary).

The House has signed off by a 66-27 count but the Senate must concur on two (surprisingly common-sense) amendments made in the House.

Here's the precedent that everyone will be latching onto when other schools start to go under. Every nervous college president and general counsel is printing off this legislation, ready to present it to their local representatives in the event things get dicey--which we all know for some that "dicey" moment is already here or coming very soon.

[Ron Boerger]

The SAA announced Stacey LaDew will succeed Jay Gardiner.  She comes to the conference from the HCAC, where she is Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator, and chaired the HCAC Championships committee where she helped oversee championships and playoffs.

https://twitter.com/SAA_Sports/status/1664602765891338240

[Ron Boerger]

Latest on the BSC loan situation:

• Gov. Ivey wanted changes to bill requiring institutions applying for a loan to provide documents on a restructuring plan and clarifying that interest would be charged.  The amendment(s) were approved on June 6 by both state houses.
• As of today the revised bill awaits her signature.
• BSC announced it would work with the state treasurer on June 6.
• While there (edit:  will be) a program once the governor signs off, the terms of the loan will have to be negotiated with and approved by the state treasurer.
• Worryingly, BSC is still saying that only $46M of the $200M additional endowment funds required to stay in business have been pledged.  That's the same number reported in April.  One hopes that loan approval will help those considering contributions but still on the fence to commit, as BSC says they will need income from the endowment to underwrite 20% of annual operating expenses.

Source:  Alabama Political Reporter (Samuel Stettheimer)

[cush]

Any idea on how many students BSC is projected for fall enrollment? Seems like the governor was very hostile to any aid for BSC but the legislature found a pathway with a loan. Going forward, BSC will probably need to fundraise $30 million + per year and have an enrollment of 1,200 + students to survive. I'll assume the state loan will buy them around 5 years of breathing room to get those numbers, maybe not even that long.

[BSCpanthers]

Obviously the more students the better, but BSC has reported in the past that they could continue with as little as 700 students. All we can hope at this point is that the fundraising takes a huge leap over the next 6 months and the enrollment for the 24/25 year is well above average.  Starting a few masters programs should help with those enrollment numbers as well.  Time will tell if BSC was just given a short reprieve or if it's the beginning of the next great chapter.

[Ralph Turner]

Obviously the more students the better, but BSC has reported in the past that they could continue with as little as 700 students. All we can hope at this point is that the fundraising takes a huge leap over the next 6 months and the enrollment for the 24/25 year is well above average.  Starting a few masters programs should help with those enrollment numbers as well.  Time will tell if BSC was just given a short reprieve or if it's the beginning of the next great chapter.

Respectfully, I am suspicious of any reports from BSC about enrollments and endowments. I suspect that the governor knows what is really happening in B'ham and the obstacles that BSC faces. She also wants the details of the loan and the collateral that is there not to be a campaign albatross when she comes up for re-election. I doubt that BSC gets a "sweetheart" deal from the governor.

[Ron Boerger]

One more concern to throw on the pile: according to this summary of the Alabama legislative process (provided by the state) the Governor has ten days from final approval, if legislative approval was granted with less than five days remaining in the session, to approve a bill or it is considered a pocket veto.  The legislature adjourned sine die on the 6th.  Tomorrow (Friday) would be the tenth day since the bill's approval. 

[Ron Boerger]

Confirmed by this AL.com story.

[The Third Division]

Is the moral of the story that if Alabama's legislature were run by democrats that Birmingham southern's future would be brighter?

[Ron Boerger]

Is the moral of the story that if Alabama's legislature were run by democrats that Birmingham southern's future would be brighter?

The Republican-controlled Legislature did its job and agreed when the governor demanded last-second changes.

It's on one person now.

[Ron Boerger]

Is the moral of the story that if Alabama's legislature were run by democrats that Birmingham southern's future would be brighter?

The Republican-controlled Legislature did its job and agreed when the governor demanded last-second changes.

It's on one person now.

And according to AL.com the one person did her job at last.

https://www.al.com/news/2023/06/birmingham-southern-bill-signed-college-to-stay-open-apply-for-30-million.html

[awadelewis]

We find ourselves heading towards a new academic year and start of a new season and I'm looking forward to getting back into football.

On the Mountain, we're looking forward to having a new coach bringing an attitude towards the game into the program that I've not seen for a long time on the Mountain.  Coach McCollum has brought in a group of young coaches onto his staff who had been either assistant coaches or graduate assistants at FBS and FCS schools around the region.    And those folk have been out recruiting over the past few months.     Most enthusiasm I've seen around the program in years.

So... what are y'all looking forward to seeing from your favorite teams in the Fall?

[Ron Boerger]

I'm interested in seeing if Southwestern regains the competitiveness it had developed before it headed to the Wild Wild West of the ASC.  They were competitive (mostly) the first couple of years after the transition but in recent years could only beat the back markers like Austin and McMurry.  I'd expect them to be a low- to mid-pack SAA team this year.

For Trinity I'm hoping they survive the first three weeks of the season.  Starting with St John's (there) and UMHB will certainly prepare them for the opening week of conference play at Birmingham-Southern as long as they stay healthy.  Also interested to see which of last year's seniors return for their COVID year.  I'm pretty sure QB Tucker Horn is back.

For B-SC it will be interesting to see how the team's approach changes (if at all) under Coach Colucci.  Since he was promoted from OC I would expect them to continue to be a team with a dominant run focus and the ever-dangerous Jon Lewis should be back to lead the rushing attack.  And they certainly have their eyes set on finally beating Trinity after coming so close the last two seasons. 

And they're not in the SAA, but I'll be keeping an eye on Austin to see if former BSC coach Tony Joe White can turn the fortunes around of a program that has been struggling since seemingly forever (last season over .500:  2000, and only barely, 6-4).   He has totally revamped the coaching staff there.   Had B-SC not been able to continue AC was my next thought of a school the SAA might invite, with an academic profile broadly similar to Southwestern. 

[Hawks88]

For B-SC it will be interesting to see how the team's approach changes (if at all) under Coach Colucci.  Since he was promoted from OC I would expect them to continue to be a team with a dominant run focus and the ever-dangerous Jon Lewis should be back to lead the rushing attack.  And they certainly have their eyes set on finally beating Trinity after coming so close the last two seasons. 

This just reminded me of a tweet I ran across back during the winter. I don't know if Lewis will be back for BSC.

https://athletics.uindy.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=13047

[Ron Boerger]

For B-SC it will be interesting to see how the team's approach changes (if at all) under Coach Colucci.  Since he was promoted from OC I would expect them to continue to be a team with a dominant run focus and the ever-dangerous Jon Lewis should be back to lead the rushing attack.  And they certainly have their eyes set on finally beating Trinity after coming so close the last two seasons. 

This just reminded me of a tweet I ran across back during the winter. I don't know if Lewis will be back for BSC.

https://athletics.uindy.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=13047

Big loss for the Panthers, that said, they seem to always have talented RBs in the pipeline so we'll see who will take on that mantle.  Thanks and +1!