Bama folks about Birmingham Southern's drop to D3


T

the band fan

Baseball Fan
what has been the reason Birmingham Southern dropped to D3? Were they that much in the hole? They basically lost their baseball and basketball programs due to people transferring and the rest will be full d3 for 07-08.

They have 15 sports but no football so do you think they'll ever come back up if football comes?
 
BF, BSC is a hugely academic institution and they felt that D1 level athletics were taking away too much money from the academics of the college. Athletics at BSC have never been self sufficient - regardless of how competitive they have been. Their board decided to make a shift to D3 so they dont have to spend as much on athletics, dont have to give schollys, and end the flow of money leaving academics and going into the athletic department. Now with that said - from the outside looking in - most of the Birmingham community feel it is a crock. While they were D1 in sports, the conference they were in was no more expensive than when they were NAIA. Additionally, while they are not going to play basketball or baseball next year (the baseball coach had already taken the job @ UAB before that was announce although im sure he had already been given that head's up.), they do plan on playing football in 2007 - not 2008 - NEXT YEAR. They have just hired Joey Jones (former UA WR and coach at Mountain Brook High School - Natalie Holloway). They dont have a stadium, so that is something that is going to have to be worked out. And their best sport and coach - Basketball is taking a huge hit. Their coach has been hugely loyal to them. Has turned down several offers for higher paying, better conferences, and higher profile positions - to stay with BSC. And now he is out too. And if they come back up to D1, it will be such a hard thing - from a committment standpoint from the stakeholders here in the community. It will be extremely difficult for them to make that kind of move again.
 

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Teams in limbo during transition

AD plans to play Division III schedule as soon as possible

Saturday, June 17, 2006
MIKE PERRIN
News staff writer

Birmingham-Southern College officials know the Panthers won't play Division I men's basketball or baseball in 2006-07. What they'll do in 2007-08 is not so clear-cut.

As of now, only men's basketball and baseball will be sitting out a year due to the transfer of most of its athletes in the wake of the BSC Board of Trustees' vote to move from Division I to non-scholarship Division III. A decision on competing in volleyball is expected soon as six incoming freshmen must make up their minds on whether they will still cast their lot with BSC. The other varsity sports on campus will compete in Division I in 2006-07.

Skipping a year of Division I play doesn't automatically make BSC Division III when it returns to action. There is a four-year transition period from DI to DIII, and Southern officials aren't quite sure what that will mean in 2007-08.

Men's basketball coach Duane Reboul expects that the Panthers' new Division III conference, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, will provide opponents to help fill his schedule.

"We will play Division III, NAIA, Division II - whoever will play us," Reboul said. "We hope we will get 22 games from the conference as they try to incorporate us into their schedules."

Athletics Director Joe Dean Jr. said his plan is to play a Division III schedule as soon as possible.

"We're kind of nothing that year, as I understand it," he said, looking to 2007-08. "We're still, technically, a Division I independent because we'll have scholarship athletes. But we will not be eligible for any championships because we're not playing 14 sports next year.

"So, (in 2007-08) we'll be on some type probation. Our plan is to play as much of a Division III schedule as we can."

During the transition, Birmingham-Southern will be considered a reclassifying institution by the NCAA. Associate Athletics Director Leslie Claybrook said she is waiting for information from the NCAA as to whether the Panthers will be counted as a Division I opponent in'07-08.

If not, many DI schools who have contracts to play Southern are expected to drop them from their schedule so as not to harm their Ratings Percentage Index, used to help calculate strength of schedule and to assist championship selection committees in determining at-large tournament bids.

As BSC moves toward Division III it must meet DIII rules - No.1 being no scholarships given for athletic ability. Those receiving an athletic scholarship on June 1, 2007, will continue on scholarship for two years, per NCAA rules, but no incoming freshmen will be given financial aid based in any way on athletic ability.

Because Division I mandates minimum spending standards for athletic scholarships, Birmingham-Southern may fail to comply to that rule simply because of the number of athletes who leave.

In 2005-06, BSC awarded 116 scholarships - meeting NCAA maximums only in baseball (11.7), men's basketball (13), women's golf (6) and men's soccer (9.9).

At the end of the second year of reclassifying, NCAA rules allow schools to ask for a waiver of four-year process. The NCAA Management Council, upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee, can grant the waiver if the school meets nine specified requirements.

So, BSC could become a Division III member in 2009-10. Schools that reclassify must remain in that division a minimum of three years.

"We're going to take every step necessary to put our teams in a position to play for a championship," Dean said. "That's what it's all about.

"The sad thing is, after next year, we'll have two or three more years of not playing for anything. That's not fun. We went through that going up to Division I."

The football team expected to begin play in 2007 will be non-scholarship and will play Division III teams, although it will not be eligible for the playoffs until the school meets Division III standards.

E-mail: mperrin@bhamnews.com
 
BSC's new coach expects `growing pains,' but still wants to open big

Tuesday, June 20, 2006
MIKE PERRIN
News staff writer

Joey Jones met the media and members of the Birmingham-Southern College family on Monday morning in the hall of fame room that features a plaque honoring the last football team to take the field for BSC.

He stood in front of a black-and-gold football helmet that previously rested in an athletic department official's office as a novelty item.

When Jones officially begins work as BSC's head football coach on July 1, football will be serious business for Birmingham-Southern for the first time since 1939.

"This is going to be a long process," Jones said. "We probably won't be 10-0 the first season, I imagine, but we're going to shoot for that. There's going to be some growing pains having a lot of young kids out there with probably a lot of freshmen playing that first year.

"I'm willing to work through that. I'm past the point with my ego where all I'm worried about is my won-loss record. That's not a big thing with me any more. I understand if you don't win you're going to get fired, but that's not No.1 on my list. Being a positive influence in these kids' lives is a lot more important to me than that. The wins will come. -It will be a little tough early, but we'll get it worked out."

Athletics Director Joe Dean Jr. said Jones was his first and only choice to build Southern's football program.

"We knew when we started the talks about having a football program that the most important thing for us to do initially was to hit a home run with our first football coach," Dean said. "I told (President) Dr. (David) Pollick the perfect person to come in here and give us instant credibility, especially in Birmingham with all the 6A football programs, was Joey Jones.

"Obviously we're thrilled. This is a big day for us at Birmingham-Southern. I know that in time Joey is going to build us a wonderful football program."

Pollick said the new football program will have an operating budget ranging between $200,000 and $400,000 a year, in line with the schools in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Panthers will play as a member of the SCAC after they are accepted as an NCAA Division III member and will begin play against SCAC teams as an independent in 2007 during the Division III transition.

Work on a football field, locker rooms and coaches' offices is already in the preliminary design phase, Pollick said. The field is expected to be built into one of the hillsides near the softball field, and will include a track and may cost as much as $3 million.

"Right from the get-go, for the field and the set up for a track, we had $2 (million) to $3 million in that pro forma," Pollick said. "We have our architects working on that for us.

"We have a couple of sites we're looking at in that area. We have the hillsides we can sculpt into. We'll do what's necessary immediately and what's nice next."

While Jones said players and coaches have already started calling about the team, Pollick said he's heard from supporters of the school.

"We've had all sorts of people coming at us, from people wanting to come to support us with gifts to folks who wanted season tickets," he said.

Jones also announced that one of his former Mountain Brook players, Hindley Brigham, will join his coaching staff at BSC. Brigham lettered at running back for Furman in 2001-03.

Eddie Garfinkle, who served as defensive coordinator at Spain Park for the past five years, will take the same position for Jones at BSC.

E-mail: mperrin@bhamnews.com
 
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