Sports with Walter Moore

What Does SSU Offer The

Walter Moore MEAC?

Officials from the Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) visited the campus of Savannah State University (SSU) earlier this week. MEAC officials are thinking about conference expansion while SSU officials are looking for a place to call home.

Let’s take a look at what SSU has to offer.

Founded in 1890, SSU is the oldest public historically black college in Georgia and sits on 173 acres of land. Amidst the mossy oaks, one can pick from over 20 undergraduate majors and four graduate programs. Enrollment hit its highest peak during fall 2008 at 3,456. Forty-one percent of those enrolled were from the Savannah metro area while 19 percent hailed from the Atlanta metro area. Fiftyeight percent of the enrollment is made up of females and five percent are nonblacks.

Academically, Savannah State student-athletes are doing well in the classroom. During the 2007- 08 academic year, 31 athletes made the Honor Roll, 14 were on the Dean’s List and two made the President’s List. During the 2008-09 school term, 42 made the Honor Roll, 19 were on the Dean’s List and one made the President’s List.

Athletically, SSU offers 15 sports and just ended a three-year NCAA probation for rule violations. SSU has been Division I since 2002 and excuses are beginning to run out on why the program has a hard time competing in the league.

The football team went 5-7 in 2008 and there is a glimmer of hope for the program that has not posted a winning season since 1998. Of the five victories, only one came against a Football Championship Sub-Division opponent (Winston-Salem State).

The volleyball and softball teams posted school records in victories last year. The volleyball team won 10 games while softball won 15. That is great for school and team morale but none of the wins came against Division I competition. Last year, volleyball was 0-6 against MEAC competition while the softball team was 0-8 and the tennis team was 0-2.

The men's basketball teams at SSU were a powerhouse in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s. Fans still talk about teams under Ted Wright, Leo Richardson, Russell Ellington and Jimmy Westley. After years of losing, the team finally turned the corner in 2008- 09 finishing with a winning season for the first time since the 1985-86 campaign. Horace Broadnax has things moving in the right direction but the Tigers still suffered away from Tiger Arena where they went 2-11. SSU was .500 (1-1) when playing MEAC schools.

SSU women's basketball enjoyed its last real success in the early 1990s and have not had a non-losing season since 1998-99. The Lady Tigers were 9-22 this year and like the men, they had a poor road record, going 2-13. Take away the non-Division I wins and SSU only has a 5-22 mark. SSU was 1-3 when playing MEAC schools.

The track & field/cross country programs had some individual success a few years ago but are on the rebound with a good recruiting class and have fared well against counterparts from the major conferences.

Golf at Savannah State appears to be on even keel with other MEAC programs. The Tigers were seventh at the 2009 PGA Collegiate Golf Championships after finishing fourth in 2008. However, SSU was the only Division-I school that participated in the Armstrong Atlantic Invitational in February and finished tied for 11th place. The women's golf program needs major work although SSU had one player compete as an individual at the PGA Championships and she placed 13th.

Baseball has been SSU's best sport since the mid-1990s but after two consecutive losing seasons some supporters are looking closely at the direction of the program. The Tigers led the nation is stolen bases in 2009 but were also inconsistent at times. SSU went 3-10 against MEAC competition.

Finances

According to the website www.bballstate.com in 2008, SSU had athletic revenues of $2,222,989.00 while expenses were 2,102,031.00. Those revenue figures ranked the Tigers next to last of the 340 Division I schools. SSU was last when it came to expenses.

Facilities

SSU plays its football game in Theodore Wright Stadium which was built in 1968. The facility which seats 7,500, received major renovations last season to its press box. Work was also done with the addition of better lighting and bleachers on the home side. The smallest MEAC stadium belongs to Delaware State which seats 6,828.

Tiger Memorial Baseball Field was also built in the early 1970s and Wilcox- Wiley Gym, home to the volleyball team, was erected in 1964. The SSU track was resurfaced for the 1996 Olympics and is also used for county and city track meets. Tiger Arena opened in 2000 and can seat over 5,000. Although SSU has a tennis court, home matches are played at nearby Lake Mayer and the golf team holds their home matches at Henderson Golf Course.

Extras If and/or when SSU is admitted into the MEAC, along with it comes the alumni, fan base, band and cheerleaders. It’s no secret that SSU’s alumni and fan base is a finicky group. Either they are with you or they are not, although some like to straddle the fence to keep the peace. SSU averaged 948 fans in men’s basketball last season while the Lady Tigers drew an average of 680 per game. Football averaged 4,818 in their four home contests.

SSU’s band is very small when compared to most Division I bands and things won’t change when they regularly go up against the 250- plus member bands from FAMU, Bethune, Hampton and Howard.

Cheerleaders are a very important part of sports, especially on the collegiate level. SSU’s cheer squad will be under new leadership this fall and will hopefully be able to keep pace with their MEAC suitors of firing up the teams and crowds.

Tailgating is a big part of MEAC football. SSU fans are only known to tailgate at homecoming while many at MEAC schools crank up the grill at home and road games. SSU fans must step up to the plate or they may get left with the gristle.

The Bottom Line

Geographically, SSU seems to be an excellent fit for the MEAC as strong rivalries could be built with several conference institutions within a five hour drive of Savannah. If the conference splits into a north/south divisional format, adding SSU would reduce the travel cost for the southern institutions but travel costs would increase for SSU as they may have to travel as far away as Delaware for conference games in all sports. If Savannah State is to increase its level of competitiveness, additional funding and athletic staffing resources will have to be secured. There are signs that SSU is increasing scholarships in several sports and hiring more resources to support athletics.