The Battle Plan
1/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
A Successful College Football Playoff
The first year of the College Football Playoff was a resounding success. The Selection Committee, under the leadership of Arkansas Athletics Director Jeff Long, accepted a very difficult challenge and got it right - both in the process and the end result. Jeff, the selection committee, and Bill Hancock and his staff deserve high praise for what they accomplished and, of even greater importance, how they got it done.
Congratulations to Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, and Oregon for earning their way into this historic playoff - and to the Buckeyes for winning the championship. The four-team playoff accomplished its mission to: (1) determine the best team in college football on the field; (2) keep the college football regular season the most relevant in American sports; and (3) preserve the post-season collegiate bowl system. There was definitely a playoff atmosphere every week of the season. And, adding two more teams to the quest for the title added both excitement and value. I still believe four is the best number and hope it stays that way.
The next season in football is upon us - off season conditioning and recruiting. Student-athletes all over the country have already begun setting goals and objectives for the 2015 season. They will add strength, speed, quickness, and skill to be the best they can be in pursuit of championships. We are excited about the incoming class our coaches have lined up to date, and look forward to February 4th when national letters of intent are signed and commitments are formalized. Our eight early enrollees are registered, going to class, and working regularly in the weight room.
Congratulations and my deepest appreciation goes out to the seniors on our 2014 SEC championship team, and the three juniors who have decided to declare for the NFL Draft - Landon Collins, Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon. Their outstanding leadership is largely responsible for the success our team enjoyed on the gridiron this year. They set a great example for younger members of our team in terms of dedication, effort, accountability, and teamwork on and off the field. I am confident that they will each be successful in life after they leave the University of Alabama. We look forward to seeing our upcoming senior class and underclass leaders take up where these outstanding individuals left off.
Shane Lyons Moves On
I would like to congratulate and thank Shane Lyons, our Deputy Athletics Director at Alabama over the last three years, for the outstanding job he has done during his time here. He has been a valuable member of our staff and, certainly, a great asset to me. We will miss his leadership in our department and Shane, Emily, Cameron and Brooke's impact in the Tuscaloosa community.
Shane has been named Athletics Director at the University of West Virginia, his alma mater. The Mountaineers are very fortunate to have Shane in charge of their athletics program. We wish Shane and his family well and look forward to following the Mountaineers' success in the future.
NCAA Convention
These are interesting times in collegiate athletics. There are governance changes at NCAA levels that have been passed and are in the process of being defined. NCAA meetings this week in Washington, D.C., are being held to debate and define what these changes are; how, and by whom, they will be implemented; and what impact they will have on the future of collegiate athletics. "Autonomy" of the power five conferences will be discussed and debated. So will the "full cost of attendance", a complex issue heretofore in place basically to govern the amount of loans students may receive over the actual costs of tuition, fees, room and board. It will now be used to determine amounts to possibly compensate scholarship student-athletes above and beyond the value of their current scholarships. Other issues of student-athlete welfare will be discussed.
This discussion will occur within the framework of current litigation involving the NCAA, various collegiate conferences, and various institutions. At play in these lawsuits are Labor Law, Anti-Trust Law, and Title IX Law. At this time we all have more questions than answers.
Our institution will be well-represented as will the SEC, the NCAA, and all conferences and institutions. There are many bright people who will be meeting this weekend. My hope is that we can make decisions that will protect the collegiate model of athletics in this country, which is unlike any in the world, and insure the future for student-athletes for generations to come. These next few months and years in collegiate athletics will be very interesting.
Nationally Ranked Teams This Week
At this time of the spring semester, there are current national rankings out for 10 sports: men's and women's basketball, gymnastics, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's tennis, and baseball. Preseason rankings for baseball, men's golf, women's golf and softball have not been released at this writing. This week, five of our teams remain nationally ranked among the top 25 in their respective sports, including two ranked in the top 10, and four are currently ranked in the top 20 nationally. Here's a glance at this week's rankings:
- Gymnastics - 6th
- Women's Tennis - tie-8th
- Men's Indoor Track & Field - 13th
- Men's Swimming - 18th
- Baseball - 29th
*The following Crimson Tide teams received votes in the latest rankings, but did not make the top 25: men's basketball, women's indoor track & field, and women's swimming.
Sports Updates
Our resurgent MEN'S BASKETBALL team is currently 12-4 on the season and 2-1 in the SEC, as a big home game with top-ranked Kentucky awaits this Saturday, Jan. 17, at Coleman Coliseum. The showdown with the Wildcats will tip off at 3 p.m. CT with the game airing on ESPN. The game is officially sold out, so those of you with tickets need to come to campus early, be loud and stay late. Last Saturday in Knoxville, the Crimson Tide had one of its most impressive road victories in a long time as Alabama went on a 21-2 run in the game's closing stages in a 56-38 win over Tennessee (recap here), Alabama's sixth consecutive victory. The win ended a 16-game road losing streak and a 12-game SEC road losing streak for the Crimson Tide, marking the first time Alabama has held an SEC opponent to fewer than 40 points since 2010. In the second half, Alabama limited Tennessee to 14 points on 5-of-24 shooting while holding the Vols to 31.1 percent shooting for the game. On Tuesday night, the Tide lost a tough one at South Carolina (recap here), falling 68-66 to the Gamecocks, Alabama's first loss since Dec. 16 at Wichita State (a 53-52 verdict). On Monday, the Tide received votes to be ranked in the latest top 25 polls, checking in at No. 34 in the nation in the Associated Press national poll with seven votes to be ranked, and at No. 36 in the USA Today Coaches Poll with eight votes. It is the first time since the 2012-13 season that Alabama has received votes to be ranked in the national polls. We are excited about the way this team has progressed. A good mix of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen has come together to provide quality depth with different players taking lead roles on a game-to-game basis. I'd like to see our students and fans really get behind this team as it faces the difficult SEC schedule ahead. Home court advantage is big in all sports, but especially in basketball. Let's get Coleman Coliseum rocking in the coming weeks!
The WOMEN'S BASKETBALL team is 11-8 this season, 0-4 in the SEC, after losses to top-ranked South Carolina (recap here) and at Ole Miss (47-64 on Jan. 4) (recap here). The SEC is a tough neighborhood in every sport, and women's basketball certainly fits that description. The combination of a tough early SEC schedule, in which three of the first four games came against nationally-ranked opponents, along with some injury issues, has hindered the team lately. Hopefully, they can bounce back and show the same resolve they showed last season. Six SEC schools are ranked among the Associated Press Top 25 again this week (No. 1 South Carolina, 6-Tennessee, 10-Kentucky, 11-Texas A&M, 15-Mississippi State, and 18-Georgia). The Crimson Tide travels to Starkville to take on Mississippi State on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT. The game will air on Fox Sports South.
Congratulations to new Crimson Tide GYMNASTICS head coach Dana Duckworth, who earned her first head coaching victory when Alabama beat visiting No. 21 Arizona (recap here), 196.225 to 194.375, in the season opener last Friday night at Coleman Coliseum. As you recall, Dana took over the reins of the program from legendary coach Sarah Patterson in July, and her team didn't miss a beat in the opener, looking polished and ready for the new season. The Tide is ranked sixth nationally this week. The challenges continue this Friday night as Alabama travels to Fayetteville to take on the 12th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks at 7:45 p.m. CT. The competition will be televised live by The SEC Network beginning at 8 p.m. CT.
Our men's SWIMMING & DIVING team beat Texas A&M, 162-138, last Friday in College Station while the Tide women fell to the Aggies, 178-120 (recap here) Junior Connor Oslin won three individual events to lead the men's team to the win over the Aggies. Connor won the 100 backstroke, the 200 backstroke, and the 100 butterfly. He also led off the Tide's winning 200 medley relay to begin the meet, combining with sophomore Anton McKee, junior Brett Walsh and sophomore Kristian Gkolomeev. Kristian won the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle before anchoring the Tide's winning 200 freestyle relay to close out the meet, joining sophomore Alex Gray, Walsh and freshman Luke Kaliszak. Kristian remains undefeated in the 50 freestyle this season. Junior Brian Westlake (1650 freestyle) and Gray (200 freestyle) also picked up wins for the Tide men. On the women's side, senior Kaylin Burchell won the 100 breaststroke while freshman Temarie Tomley won the 100 freestyle. Temarie joined sophomore Bailey Scott, junior Emma Saunders, and junior Justine Panian to win the 200 freestyle relay to close out the meet. The Tide returns to the pool this Thursday-Saturday at the Arena Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Upcoming Events
Here's a summary of athletics events over the next several days (times listed are for the location of the event):
Thursday, January 15
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Day | Swimming & Diving | at Arena Grand Prix | Austin, Texas |
Friday, January 16
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:45 p.m. CT | Gymnastics | at Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| All Day | Swimming & Diving | at Arena Grand Prix | Austin, Texas |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | Florida State/Ga. Tech/Northwestern | Tuscaloosa |
Saturday, January 17
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 p.m. CT | Men's Basketball | Kentucky | Coleman Coliseum |
| All Day | Swimming & Diving | at Arena Grand Prix | Austin, Texas |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | Florida State/Ga. Tech/Northwestern | Tuscaloosa |
| All Day | Track & Field | at Auburn Indoor Invitational | Birmingham |
Sunday, January 18
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 p.m. CT | Women's Basketball | at Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. |
| All Day | Women's Tennis | Florida State/Ga. Tech/Northwestern | Tuscaloosa |
Monday, January 19
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. CT | Men's Tennis | Samford | Tuscaloosa |
| 3 p.m. CT | Men's Tennis | UAB | Tuscaloosa |
Catch Alabama Athletics on The SEC Network
Here's a summary of our athletic events to be televised over the next week on The SEC Network and its platforms. Read this schedule closely as some events can be seen via SEC Network +, which is available online via ESPN3 here. If you can't make it to our games in person, catch us on radio or TV.
(All times listed are Central Time)
Friday, January 16
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 8 p.m. | Gymnastics at Arkansas | SEC Network |
Saturday, January 17
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 1 a.m. | REPLAY: Gymnastics at Arkansas | SEC Network |
| 1 p.m. | REPLAY: Gymnastics at Arkansas | SEC Network |
Sunday, January 18
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 p.m. | REPLAY: Men's Basketball vs. Kentucky | SEC Network |
Tuesday, January 20
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. | REPLAY: Gymnastics at Arkansas | SEC Network |
Our teams need your support, so please plan to attend to do your part! A rising tide lifts all boats and it's up to all of us to Keep the Tide Rising!
Roll Tide!
