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The 2020-2021 athletic year left a mark at Auburn, a painful one that still stings. In the sports that matter most to the most people, it was devastatingly bad. It's difficult - actually impossible - to blame COVID-19 when every program in college football had to deal with the difficulties it brought.
The football teamās 6-5 finish that got Gus Malzahn fired actually was successful in comparison to the other most prominent sports. The menās basketball team had a losing record. The womenās basketball team went 0-16 in the SEC. The baseball team had a losing record and finished 12th, barely getting into the SEC Tournament. The softball team also finished 12th, though it got into a regional. Overall, Auburn was 12th out of 14 SEC teams in the all-sports standings.
The distress call has been heard at the highest level.
FRANK DISCUSSIONS AFTER DIFFICULT YEAR
Recent meetings have included head coaches in all sports, president Jay Gogue, athletics director Allen Greene and retired General Ron Burgess, the universityās chief operating officer. The mission is to not have more years like 2020-2021.
From what Iām told, there were frank discussions about expectations compared with the support individual sports, especially so-called Olympic sports, get financially and otherwise. The bottom line from coaches: Competing consistently at the top of the league takes the same kind of support that competitors enjoy.
It appears Burgess will take a more active role in athletics, but details are sketchy and, as is the modern way, will be hard to come by.
ABOUT AUBURNāS BRAND
With the coming of NIL has come lots of talk about ābrands.ā Most of that talk has been about players developing their personal brands, but what about programs? What about Auburn, particularly Auburn football? Iāve had numerous discussions about that question with people in my business.
Here are some things Iāve heard about how Auburn is viewed:
--Always a threat to be a cntender, but erratic.
--Overshadowed by Alabamaās success despite having more success against Nick Saban than any SEC program. A note: In the past 40 years, Auburn is 21-19 against Alabama.
--Devoted but often unrealistic fan base.
-- No patience. Some point to the fact that Auburnās last national championship coach and its last coach to get to the national championship game were both eventually fired.
--Faces an annual schedule that would make being a consistent contender difficult for almost any team. Said one: āWould Clemson be where it is if it had to play Auburnās schedule? I think obviously not. I donāt know who would be.ā
--Faces a near-impossible recruiting challenge from Georgia to the east and Alabama to the west.
--Who signed off on that āgosh awful press box?ā
WHAT IS AHEAD FOR JORDAN-HARE STADIUM?
Auburnās football facilities arenāt awful. Theyāll be significantly better when the construction of a football-only facility is completed. The South Donahue Residence Hall, where most players live, is first-rate. The academic center isnāt at the top of the SEC, but itās not at the bottom either.
The most glaring difference between Auburnās facilities and those of its competitors at the top of the SEC is Jordan-Hare Stadium. Fans make Jordan-Hare a very difficult place for opponents to play, but it lacks the amenities and the wow factor of others.
In 2014, then-athletics director Jay Jacobs endeavored to do something about it, proposing a $145 million update to the north end zone that would have added restrooms, escalators and elevators, a second video board, an on-site kitchen and more premium seats.
āWe know itās important to continue to improve the gameday experience, and thatās why itās been a focus of mine for years now.ā Jacobs said in December of 2014. āWe know our fans and donors want more amenities such as more premium seating options but also other amenities that all of our fans will benefit from.ā
Jacobs sent out a survey to Auburn people with images and renderings of the projected changes. But even though such renovations would likely pay for themselves in the long run, Jacobsā proposal got a cold reception from the Board of Trustees. There really hasnāt been much talk about such a project since.
The reality is that most such facilities projects are financed largely through bond issues, another way of saying borrowed money. Auburnās Board of Trustees has long been cautious, some would say overly cautious, about taking on debt service for athletics. According to a survey last year, the Auburn athletic departmentās total annual debt service was approximately half of Alabamaās.
And thatās where things stand as of today.
WHAT ATHLETES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO IN NIL ERA
Even in this unprecedented time in college athletics, athletes face some limitations in what they can do to be paid for their name, image and likeness. Here they are:
--There can be no compensation for work not performed.
--Compensation canāt be contingent on an athleteās performance or achievement. An athleteās NIL value might be enhanced by performance, but an athlete cannot have any financial incentive based on points scored, etc.
--College athletes canāt receive benefits inconsistent with institutional policies.
--Athletes are not allowed to wear an athletic brand during competition that is different from the institutionās contract with a different apparel company. In other words, an athlete at an Under Armour school canāt wear Nike branded apparel even if he or she has an agreement with Nike.
All of this could change, of course, if Congress passes a law or someone goes to court and and wins a lawsuit.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NOT GOING AWAY
Some ā including me ā have wondered if the SEC Championship Game will survive if a 12-team playoff is approved. The answer is that it will absolutely survive and will be very meaningful every year. Hereās why:
Under the proposed expansion, the top four seeds would all go to conference champions. Getting one of those four seeds means getting a first-round playoff bye, clearly a very significant advantage. The downside would be that a team that has clinched a playoff spot might be willing to rest players late in the regular season to assure that they will be full-speed for a conference championship game.
CAN HARSIN DO WHAT OTHERS COULD NOT?
Since Terry Bowdenās first two teams combined to go 20-1-1, six Auburn teams ā 1997, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2017 - have finished in the final top-10 in the polls. In those 26 seasons since 1994, Auburn has not had back-to-back top-10 finishes. It could have done it in 2005 had it not been for a loss to Wisconsin in the Citrus Bowl.
Tommy Tuberville couldnāt do it. Gene Chizik couldnāt do it. Gus Malzahn couldnāt do it. Now itās Bryan Harsinās turn to try.
The football teamās 6-5 finish that got Gus Malzahn fired actually was successful in comparison to the other most prominent sports. The menās basketball team had a losing record. The womenās basketball team went 0-16 in the SEC. The baseball team had a losing record and finished 12th, barely getting into the SEC Tournament. The softball team also finished 12th, though it got into a regional. Overall, Auburn was 12th out of 14 SEC teams in the all-sports standings.
The distress call has been heard at the highest level.
FRANK DISCUSSIONS AFTER DIFFICULT YEAR
Recent meetings have included head coaches in all sports, president Jay Gogue, athletics director Allen Greene and retired General Ron Burgess, the universityās chief operating officer. The mission is to not have more years like 2020-2021.
From what Iām told, there were frank discussions about expectations compared with the support individual sports, especially so-called Olympic sports, get financially and otherwise. The bottom line from coaches: Competing consistently at the top of the league takes the same kind of support that competitors enjoy.
It appears Burgess will take a more active role in athletics, but details are sketchy and, as is the modern way, will be hard to come by.
ABOUT AUBURNāS BRAND
With the coming of NIL has come lots of talk about ābrands.ā Most of that talk has been about players developing their personal brands, but what about programs? What about Auburn, particularly Auburn football? Iāve had numerous discussions about that question with people in my business.
Here are some things Iāve heard about how Auburn is viewed:
--Always a threat to be a cntender, but erratic.
--Overshadowed by Alabamaās success despite having more success against Nick Saban than any SEC program. A note: In the past 40 years, Auburn is 21-19 against Alabama.
--Devoted but often unrealistic fan base.
-- No patience. Some point to the fact that Auburnās last national championship coach and its last coach to get to the national championship game were both eventually fired.
--Faces an annual schedule that would make being a consistent contender difficult for almost any team. Said one: āWould Clemson be where it is if it had to play Auburnās schedule? I think obviously not. I donāt know who would be.ā
--Faces a near-impossible recruiting challenge from Georgia to the east and Alabama to the west.
--Who signed off on that āgosh awful press box?ā
WHAT IS AHEAD FOR JORDAN-HARE STADIUM?
Auburnās football facilities arenāt awful. Theyāll be significantly better when the construction of a football-only facility is completed. The South Donahue Residence Hall, where most players live, is first-rate. The academic center isnāt at the top of the SEC, but itās not at the bottom either.
The most glaring difference between Auburnās facilities and those of its competitors at the top of the SEC is Jordan-Hare Stadium. Fans make Jordan-Hare a very difficult place for opponents to play, but it lacks the amenities and the wow factor of others.
In 2014, then-athletics director Jay Jacobs endeavored to do something about it, proposing a $145 million update to the north end zone that would have added restrooms, escalators and elevators, a second video board, an on-site kitchen and more premium seats.
āWe know itās important to continue to improve the gameday experience, and thatās why itās been a focus of mine for years now.ā Jacobs said in December of 2014. āWe know our fans and donors want more amenities such as more premium seating options but also other amenities that all of our fans will benefit from.ā
Jacobs sent out a survey to Auburn people with images and renderings of the projected changes. But even though such renovations would likely pay for themselves in the long run, Jacobsā proposal got a cold reception from the Board of Trustees. There really hasnāt been much talk about such a project since.
The reality is that most such facilities projects are financed largely through bond issues, another way of saying borrowed money. Auburnās Board of Trustees has long been cautious, some would say overly cautious, about taking on debt service for athletics. According to a survey last year, the Auburn athletic departmentās total annual debt service was approximately half of Alabamaās.
And thatās where things stand as of today.
WHAT ATHLETES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO IN NIL ERA
Even in this unprecedented time in college athletics, athletes face some limitations in what they can do to be paid for their name, image and likeness. Here they are:
--There can be no compensation for work not performed.
--Compensation canāt be contingent on an athleteās performance or achievement. An athleteās NIL value might be enhanced by performance, but an athlete cannot have any financial incentive based on points scored, etc.
--College athletes canāt receive benefits inconsistent with institutional policies.
--Athletes are not allowed to wear an athletic brand during competition that is different from the institutionās contract with a different apparel company. In other words, an athlete at an Under Armour school canāt wear Nike branded apparel even if he or she has an agreement with Nike.
All of this could change, of course, if Congress passes a law or someone goes to court and and wins a lawsuit.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NOT GOING AWAY
Some ā including me ā have wondered if the SEC Championship Game will survive if a 12-team playoff is approved. The answer is that it will absolutely survive and will be very meaningful every year. Hereās why:
Under the proposed expansion, the top four seeds would all go to conference champions. Getting one of those four seeds means getting a first-round playoff bye, clearly a very significant advantage. The downside would be that a team that has clinched a playoff spot might be willing to rest players late in the regular season to assure that they will be full-speed for a conference championship game.
CAN HARSIN DO WHAT OTHERS COULD NOT?
Since Terry Bowdenās first two teams combined to go 20-1-1, six Auburn teams ā 1997, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2017 - have finished in the final top-10 in the polls. In those 26 seasons since 1994, Auburn has not had back-to-back top-10 finishes. It could have done it in 2005 had it not been for a loss to Wisconsin in the Citrus Bowl.
Tommy Tuberville couldnāt do it. Gene Chizik couldnāt do it. Gus Malzahn couldnāt do it. Now itās Bryan Harsinās turn to try.
