Doesn't look too good, even though the NCAA says they will be trying to give them schools that haven't hosted before. I know that Luis Gonzalez helped raise about $70,000 with an event this winter, but USA needs a lot more to renovate Stanky Field. If we can repeat that 2 more times, then they will start in 3 years.

Regional unlikely at Jags' park

05/22/02

Here's a trivia question for you: Aside from the fact that South Alabama's baseball team has never earned a trip to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series, what other place have the Jaguars never visited during the NCAA Tournament?

As the "Jeopardy" theme ends, the answer to the question is, of course, Stanky Field.

Imagine that. A program that has enjoyed as much success as South Alabama's in baseball, a team that has made 20 trips to the NCAA Tournament, a team that will earn its eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth on Monday (its 21st trip) has never known the advantage of hosting a regional tournament.

That isn't likely to change this year.

In a string of nominations but no approving nods that would make Susan Lucci wonder, South Alabama continues to be spurned by the NCAA Tournament site committee.

On Sunday, the sites for the 16 regional tournaments will be announced. Several schools across the country have entered bids to hold the event on their campuses or stadiums in their cities. South Alabama was one of those schools.

But it is also expected LSU entered a bid. And Alabama. And Auburn. And Florida State. And Clemson. And several other schools whose home fields can accommodate more fans, make those fans more comfortable with chair-back seating and other amenities and, in fact, draw more fans from the immediate area to the tournament.

Even if South Alabama should win this week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which it is playing host to at Stanky Field, and claim one of the 16 No. 1 seedings, it seems unlikely it will earn the right to host that regional of which it is the top seed. Even in a climate in which the NCAA has said it is interested in awarding regional tournaments to sites that have not previously enjoyed the privilege, it is unlikely the group will cast that favor upon the Jags.

There are a few reasons for this line of thinking.

First, Stanky Field, when compared to other stadiums at schools making bids, doesn't stack up. Its wooden bleachers, few chairback seats and lack of other strengths in aesthetics and offerings hurt South Alabama's chances.

Secondly, because many of the schools that will earn spots in the NCAA Tournament are located in the Southeast, South Alabama must compete against other schools with matching baseball tradition and the aforementioned stadium offerings.

Thirdly, average attendance is a factor in awarding the sites and in that category the Jags also would fall well behind many of the other schools making bids.

Also, South Alabama's actual bid -- the money it guarantees to the NCAA for being awarded a regional tournament -- will likely be less than that of many of the other schools making bids, schools with bigger budgets and deeper pockets for such matters.

Another interesting question: While playing on its actual home field is an understandable advantage and reason for bidding to host the tournament at Stanky Field, why didn't South Alabama secure Hank Aaron Stadium, which will be available during the time of the regional tournaments, as the site for the tournament?

Wouldn't that be preferable to playing, say, Clemson at Clemson? LSU at LSU? Alabama at Alabama?

It appears the Jags' tradition of hopping on a bus and traveling for the NCAA Tournament will continue this year. It's possible the Jags could snag a bid, but it must overcome a lot of factors for that to happen.

Perhaps when the next group of plans are being prepared for the school's athletic program, it will become important to improve Stanky Field and with it the school's chances of getting a regional tournament.