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ASU rescinds I-A resolution
By Josh Moon
Montgomery Advertiser
The Alabama State Board of Trustees voted Thursday to rescind a two-year-old resolution that authorized the university to move its football program to Division I-A.
Ironically, the decision came the same day former trustee Donald Watkins announced plans to help another historically black college make the same move.
Watkins championed ASU?s decision to become the first historically black college participating in Division I-A. Before the plan could be executed, however, Watkins left the Board due to differences he had with other board members and to pursue the purchase of a major league baseball team.
However, on Thursday, Watkins sent an e-mail to North Carolina A&T State University in which he stated he would be more than willing to help them achieve I-A status and would share with them the information he gathered for the ASU move at a meeting in Birmingham next Thursday.
?I have possession of an enormous amount of materials and documents, gathered at my expense, relating to ASU?s abandoned Division I-A effort,? Watkins wrote. ?It is obvious to me that North Carolina A&T State University has the passion, focus, dedication and determination necessary to be the nation?s first historically black Division I-A athletic program.?
The ASU trustees voted 5-1 to rescind the two-year-old resolution to make the move, but ASU president Joe Lee said the issue wasn?t completely dead.
?We are simply taking it off the table for right now,? he said. ?This doesn?t mean that it won?t happen in the future but taking it off the table right now allows us to focus on the more pressing needs around campus.?
The only Board member to vote against the proposal was Buford Crutcher, who said he felt it was a step backward.
?Anytime you rescind a resolution you?re moving backward,? he said. ?I?m a visionary. I look toward improving this institution in the future and I see this as a step backwards.?
Watkins also questioned the Board?s vision in his e-mail.
?At one time, I thought Alabama State had the vision to become Division I-A in football,? Watkins said. ?However, petty politics on the ASU Board keeps that university trapped in 20th century thinking.?
At the same time, Watkins was pushing the move to Division I-A, he also was in the middle of finding the funding for a new on-campus stadium. He claimed to have backing to totally fund the project but wasn?t taken seriously by the other board members. In his message to A&T, Watkins said he could still get backing to fund its stadium.
?I will introduce you to potential funding sources who were interested in assisting ASU in becoming a Division I-A football program and who also wanted to share in the development of a sports hall of fame and museum for athletes of color,? Watkins said. ?I think you will find it rewarding to meet with corporate sponsors who appreciate progressive thinking, especially at a historically black college.?
A motion offered by ASU trustee Joe L. Reed to rescind the resolution that kept ASU exploring funding for an on-campus stadium failed. Lee said that would cause his office some problems due to a lack of general funding.
?That decision puts me in a precarious position,? he said. ?I?ve got some dormitories that are in need of serious repair. I?ve got buildings that are in need of new air conditioning units. My attention needs to be on these areas and I need to be able to plan strategically for the entire university.?
Crutcher said ASU just needed to tap the community for the funds needed to keep moving forward.
?This is the capital of the state of Alabama,? he said. ?We need to take advantage of our location and generate community support. We?re at the top of the SWAC in five different sports. We need to take advantage of this success and keep moving forward.?
By Josh Moon
Montgomery Advertiser
The Alabama State Board of Trustees voted Thursday to rescind a two-year-old resolution that authorized the university to move its football program to Division I-A.
Ironically, the decision came the same day former trustee Donald Watkins announced plans to help another historically black college make the same move.
Watkins championed ASU?s decision to become the first historically black college participating in Division I-A. Before the plan could be executed, however, Watkins left the Board due to differences he had with other board members and to pursue the purchase of a major league baseball team.
However, on Thursday, Watkins sent an e-mail to North Carolina A&T State University in which he stated he would be more than willing to help them achieve I-A status and would share with them the information he gathered for the ASU move at a meeting in Birmingham next Thursday.
?I have possession of an enormous amount of materials and documents, gathered at my expense, relating to ASU?s abandoned Division I-A effort,? Watkins wrote. ?It is obvious to me that North Carolina A&T State University has the passion, focus, dedication and determination necessary to be the nation?s first historically black Division I-A athletic program.?
The ASU trustees voted 5-1 to rescind the two-year-old resolution to make the move, but ASU president Joe Lee said the issue wasn?t completely dead.
?We are simply taking it off the table for right now,? he said. ?This doesn?t mean that it won?t happen in the future but taking it off the table right now allows us to focus on the more pressing needs around campus.?
The only Board member to vote against the proposal was Buford Crutcher, who said he felt it was a step backward.
?Anytime you rescind a resolution you?re moving backward,? he said. ?I?m a visionary. I look toward improving this institution in the future and I see this as a step backwards.?
Watkins also questioned the Board?s vision in his e-mail.
?At one time, I thought Alabama State had the vision to become Division I-A in football,? Watkins said. ?However, petty politics on the ASU Board keeps that university trapped in 20th century thinking.?
At the same time, Watkins was pushing the move to Division I-A, he also was in the middle of finding the funding for a new on-campus stadium. He claimed to have backing to totally fund the project but wasn?t taken seriously by the other board members. In his message to A&T, Watkins said he could still get backing to fund its stadium.
?I will introduce you to potential funding sources who were interested in assisting ASU in becoming a Division I-A football program and who also wanted to share in the development of a sports hall of fame and museum for athletes of color,? Watkins said. ?I think you will find it rewarding to meet with corporate sponsors who appreciate progressive thinking, especially at a historically black college.?
A motion offered by ASU trustee Joe L. Reed to rescind the resolution that kept ASU exploring funding for an on-campus stadium failed. Lee said that would cause his office some problems due to a lack of general funding.
?That decision puts me in a precarious position,? he said. ?I?ve got some dormitories that are in need of serious repair. I?ve got buildings that are in need of new air conditioning units. My attention needs to be on these areas and I need to be able to plan strategically for the entire university.?
Crutcher said ASU just needed to tap the community for the funds needed to keep moving forward.
?This is the capital of the state of Alabama,? he said. ?We need to take advantage of our location and generate community support. We?re at the top of the SWAC in five different sports. We need to take advantage of this success and keep moving forward.?
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