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USA football Athletic programs - successful ones, at least - can be an asset for educational institutions, be they local high schools or four-year colleges. Unsuccessful ones, on the other hand, can be a drain on morale and financial assets. The University of South Alabama has existed for over four decades without a football program but now seems poised to make that leap. The USA Board of Trustees last week voted to proceed with President Gordon Moulton's recommendation to start a Jaguar football program. There seems to be support for a program. The USA National Alumni Association put up $50,000 toward that end. The Faculty Senate voted overwhelmingly for it. Students said they were willing to pay a hefty $300 more per year for a program (but we wondered if parents, whose pockets that money will come from, were consulted). Mobile city leaders have offered the use of Ladd-Peebles Stadium for free for five years (that might be more of a liability than an asset to getting the program off the ground). USA football will cost millions - even if the school doesn't hire a $4 million coach like Alabama's Nick Saban. Our concern is that Mobile has never fully supported professional athletics. Granted, college sports is an entirely different creature. But hockey teams and more have fallen because of the lack of support. Even now, a good professional baseball team like the Mobile Bay Bears doesn't get the support it deserves.
A successful football program at USA could be good for the school, for Mobile and for southwest Alabama. Despite our concerns, we wish the undertaking good luck.
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