🏈 How would you rate the overall sport program at Bama this season?

[TheChief]

Football, which for many reasons should be waited heavily, boosts the Tide program. The other sports pull it down dramatically.

Florida probably has had the best season in the SEC overall. Basketball made the tourney. Football made the SEC Championship game. Baseball is playing a series for the national title. Men's track won the national title in an upset. Women's softball made the final, finishing second.

So what would your SEC rank be?

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Right now...FL is the leader in all sports....no doubt...
What Miss state did to UConn in womens bball...was the most impressive single event of the year....
What Bama football didnt do was the most disappointing....and KY might say same...both shoud have been NCs
I suspect AU and TN had the most disappointing seasons...( dont follow all sports and all schools)...
UT in football was supposed to compete...and didnt even win their state championship...AU didnt win in 3 sports they were suppose to excell ....in Bball, football, softball...
The most pitiful bungle is LSU...for canning Les....and hiring proven unsuccessful O....really?
The rubber chicken goes to Ole MS ....what an awful football season with the worse yet to come...hotty toddy
My take...

 

[OldPlayer]

Football overshadows all sports at Alabama. There have been good years for the sports programs (when men's and women's golf won the NC, women's gymnastics won the NC, softball won the NC and football won the NC (I don't think all those events were in the same year but they were close)), and there have been horrible years.

Unfortunately there are some sports at Alabama that just don't compete at a high level. Don't measure success based on the Capital One Cup because it's a bogus measurement that favors schools that sponsor more teams, especially in sports that Alabama doesn't compete in (men's soccer, water polo, men's gymnastics, men's wrestling, men's rowing, lacrosse, equestrian, etc).

 

[JoshB]

Football overshadows all sports at Alabama. There have been good years for the sports programs (when men's and women's golf won the NC, women's gymnastics won the NC, softball won the NC and football won the NC (I don't think all those events were in the same year but they were close)), and there have been horrible years.

Unfortunately there are some sports at Alabama that just don't compete at a high level. Don't measure success based on the Capital One Cup because it's a bogus measurement that favors schools that sponsor more teams, especially in sports that Alabama doesn't compete in (men's soccer, water polo, men's gymnastics, men's wrestling, men's rowing, lacrosse, equestrian, etc).

Why in the world does Bama have a hockey team but not a mens soccer team? That makes no sense to me, especially considered pretty much every high school has a soccer team now. Same for wrestling, its a shame Bama doesnt have one.

 

[bradenob]

Not a great year. Football won the SEC, of course. Basketball men finished 5th, women 11th. Baseball was the SEC's worst, softball uncharacteristic 5th. Women's gymnastics 3rd. In track Men's were 3rd, a great improvement, women were 7th. Volleyball we were 5th, at .500 in SEC. In tennis both were LAST at 2-10 in the SEC! Women's golf tied for 2nd, men's was 6th. Men were 3rd in swimming and diving, women were 8th. Women's soccer finished 9th. I don't know how equestrian did, LOL.

So..... great in football, better in basketball, horrible in baseball, and others were mostly ... meh. LSU, A&M and Florida seem tops overall, with Florida seeming to be the best overall.

 

[BamaFan334]

We were almost there in multiple sports this year. Football, basketball, track, mens and women's golf, softball. We were comowtitive, but a few plays away from being truly special.

Football was a first down away from winning it all. Would have ate up the clock not allowing time for that final drive the way I look at it.

Softball took the Runner Up to three games and slowed down their offense.

Mens and Women's Golf made it to the NCAA Championships only to have rough rounds.

Basketball was a couple wins away from making it to the tournament under a new regime.

Track made it to the NCAA's, but faultered in the one even thought to bring us major points.

Gymnastics made it to the Final 6 in an inconsistant year, but challenged the best.

Not disappointing at all, but so so close to bringing home the beef in so many sports. Can't win it all in everything every year.

 

[OldPlayer]

Why in the world does Bama have a hockey team but not a mens soccer team? That makes no sense to me, especially considered pretty much every high school has a soccer team now. Same for wrestling, its a shame Bama doesnt have one.

Our hockey team is a club team and not part of the athletic department. Alabama's wrestling team was disbanded back in the late 70s.

 

[TUSKtimes]

I see no sign that Bama wants to be a player in all things sports. Nothing accidental in what Florida is accomplishing year after year. If we could just get with the big 3 sports on campus that would be a lot of fun for the fans to follow through the year. I hope our new AD feels the same way.

 

[TerryP]

Why in the world does Bama have a hockey team but not a mens soccer team? That makes no sense to me, especially considered pretty much every high school has a soccer team now. Same for wrestling, its a shame Bama doesnt have one.

Our hockey team is a club team and not part of the athletic department. Alabama's wrestling team was disbanded back in the late 70s.

The last time I looked there was a club wrestling team as well. Hockey is bigger, but still under UREC.

FWIW, it's the same with men's soccer; club sport.

The question really isn't why they don't, it more how do they. IE: If you add men's soccer, you have to balance out the funding. So, that means adding another women's sport, adding more funds to a current women's sport, or taking away funding from another men's sport.

 

[OldPlayer]

The last time I looked there was a club wrestling team as well. Hockey is bigger, but still under UREC.

FWIW, it's the same with men's soccer; club sport.

The question really isn't why they don't, it more how do they. IE: If you add men's soccer, you have to balance out the funding. So, that means adding another women's sport, adding more funds to a current women's sport, or taking away funding from another men's sport.

That's one of the reasons wrestling was cut - complying with Title IX.

 

[BamaFan334]

We have a real good club bass fishing team as well.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

IE: If you add men's soccer, you have to balance out the funding. So, that means adding another women's sport, adding more funds to a current women's sport, or taking away funding from another men's sport.

Being the dirty old man I love being....I could think of several women's sports to add....
and I do not now or ever apologize for being sexist...or maybe its just locker room talk..I dont know!!!!!!

 

[TerryP]

That's one of the reasons wrestling was cut - complying with Title IX.

I've thought about the feasibility angle a bit. Men's soccer looks like a million and a half figure according a few articles I've glanced through. Wrestling, I'd think, would be more expensive. I don't know the scholly numbers or how they are set up.

@bama alum would know this. What's the number on the roster for the hockey team, 30? I know there's 18 scholarships available for the sport on D1 play. The dollar number isn't correct, but think along these lines...10K per student athlete, 180K for the sport, What women's sport fits that bill?

So now, we're at twice the cost to add one men's team. Or, vice-versa. Take the women's Lacrosse team.

Their bio:

The Alabama women’s lacrosse club is a member of the SWLL (Southeastern Women’s Lacrosse League) Conference. We play other colleges and universities in the region that have club level teams. Other teams in SWLL include Auburn, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida State University, University of Florida, etc. We want players who are passionate about lacrosse and want to build-up both the program at the University of Alabama as well as promote the sport throughout the state and the Southeast.

 

[TerryP]

Being the dirty old man I love being....I could think of several women's sports to add....
and I do not now or ever apologize for being sexist...or maybe its just locker room talk..I dont know!!!!!!

There are SEC teams with beach volleyball squads. LSU has one, UofSC another. USC has one that was on this coast recently (or soon to be.) FSU...

I saw reference to a conference tournament held in Gulf Shores/Mobile this past spring. That'd be a Google thing.

 

[TheChief]

After winning the title in baseball, Florida looks to be the favorite for national titles in lots of sports again next season. Baseball will have their entire rotation returning, and it was the best. Softball will be tough to beat with a year under their phenom freshman pitcher's belt. Track has the best all-around athlete and point scorer in the NCAA, and he is only a sophomore.

 

[bama alum]

I've thought about the feasibility angle a bit. Men's soccer looks like a million and a half figure according a few articles I've glanced through. Wrestling, I'd think, would be more expensive. I don't know the scholly numbers or how they are set up.

@bama alum would know this. What's the number on the roster for the hockey team, 30? I know there's 18 scholarships available for the sport on D1 play. The dollar number isn't correct, but think along these lines...10K per student athlete, 180K for the sport, What women's sport fits that bill?

So now, we're at twice the cost to add one men's team. Or, vice-versa. Take the women's Lacrosse team.

Their bio:

The Alabama women’s lacrosse club is a member of the SWLL (Southeastern Women’s Lacrosse League) Conference. We play other colleges and universities in the region that have club level teams. Other teams in SWLL include Auburn, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida State University, University of Florida, etc. We want players who are passionate about lacrosse and want to build-up both the program at the University of Alabama as well as promote the sport throughout the state and the Southeast.

Yes, sir. Thirty on the roster. When Bama was making the move to D1 (still at the club level), Cecil Hurt came to a game and had penned an article about the move that would possibly include a women's hockey team. The latter never came to fruition, so the article was never released; at least I never saw it (and I looked and looked). A women's team was needed to comply with Title IX. So to answer Birdman's post, yes... Men's soccer and hockey will remain at the club level until another women's sport is created/established. My .02 is that soccer will come before hockey because the fields are already there; there is no rink in Tuscaloosa. Selfishly, I'm glad for that, but realistically I know that's a major sticking point in moving the program forward.

 

[OldPlayer]

Hockey is a tough sell in the South (ask Atlanta). Soccer is a potential, as is lacrosse, but the key is matching any new sport with a comparable women's participation offering.

 

[TerryP]

Slideshow: Ranking all 65 Power Five schools in overall athletic success

He's got them listed so you don't have to click through the slideshow to see the other schools.

26. Alabama
Trajectory: Steady-ish. Crimson Tide has been as high as 17th(2013-14) and as low as 36th (2015-16). Do they care much about sports other than football?

 

[TheChief]

Florida at number 2 does not surprise me in the least. Stanford has all those weird sports that no one else cares to field, so...

Real question: Would Florida give up all the other championships they earned this season for a football title?

Yeah, they would.