Many thanks to Wes Nunnery for organizing an upbeat Eagle event held today at The Caboose in historic Kramertown in McComb. Newly hired director of athletics, Jeremy McClain was the guest speaker .. traveling with him was our deputy AD, Brian Morrison.
McClain is an impressive guy. His first stint at USM was from 2012-2015, with the General. Of course the Todd Monken hire came during this time, to clean up the catastrophic fallout of the Elllloss debacle.
Notes from today's talk/Q&A:
1) McClain was thrown into the fire immediately as Doc announced his resignation before the reporters even left the building from the press conference naming him our full-time AD. He assured the large black and gold contingent that Jay Ladner was going to prove to be an excellent hire ... a passionate high energy guy that has been successful at every stop during his coaching career.
2) Doc actually orchestrated USM's inclusion in the Bahamas tournament field pitting the Eagles against some of the "blue bloods" of college basketball ... UNC, Gonzaga, etc. This was planned a couple of years back, but Sadler delayed playing in this prestigious tourney until a complete roster was in place. With Ladner's youthful roster, this may not be the most opportune time, but good exposure nonetheless.
3) Reed Green Coliseum will definitely benefit from the 1% Hattiesburg area hotels/restaurants tax increase generating $1.2 - $1.5 million annually. This financial boost is in effect for three years, with a chance to renew it for four years after that ... total revenue coming into the RGC coffers is estimated to be between $7 - $10 million. McClain added that RGC needs a facelift in the neighborhood of $30 million. He emphasized that capital upfront is preferred in renovation efforts. Immediate inadequacies may be addressed, i.e. upgrading the loading dock to allow for concerts and other events to bring in additional revenue.
4) The NCAA is allowing an additional exhibition game each season and a Mississippi Gulf Coast matchup with Ole Miss is not outside the realm of possibility. McClain emphasized that the window is narrowing though for a '19 tilt with the Rebels, with the chances of this basketball game being played around 30%. However, he expressed USM's commitment to play our in-state SEC boys frequently at Biloxi, Jackson, or other sites.
5) At these gatherings conference realignment is always a major topic of conversation. McClain pointed out emphatically that in order for the Eagles to soar to new heights, the football team MUST be highly competitive!! He added that JHop has built the team the right way and now with virtually an 85-man roster with talent and quality depth, we are in a position to contend for C-USA championships, despite a very challenging slate this fall. In McClain's estimation, our biggest game right now is August 31 versus Alcorn State. Regarding future scheduling, he mentioned that a P5 "guaranteed money" game, an FCS opponent , and home and home games with the likes of MSU, Tulane, USA, Troy is expected, in addition to our conference schedule.
6) The trajectory of financing major college sports is not sustainable. Presently, we must be innovative in increasing monies available to operate our athletic programs. Numerous strategies are being implemented to enhance the game day experience ... beer and light wine sales will begin on September 28 at the UTEP game, a major push for season ticket sales, lower concession prices, pending relocation of The Pride of Mississippi, corporate sponsorships, a family fun zone in the south endzone, replete with face painting and cotton candy, and several other creative ways to appeal to casual fans.
7) An unexpected announcement, at least one of which I was not aware, is installation of synthetic turf at The Pete, between the conclusion of fall practice and January. While he indicated that this may go against the grain with baseball purists, the conversion practically eliminates possibilities of rainouts. McClain cited one home game washed out during his four-year stint at Troy, where the Trojans played on an artificial surface. He mentioned that the C-USA Baseball Tournament agreement to host the event in Biloxi expires in 2020. Renewal of this post season event at its present location is contingent upon MGM's desire to continue hosting the event. McClain stressed that the fact that there was no better fan base in C-USA than USM's gave us a distinct advantage.
8) McClain concluded by delivering the Southern Miss mantra ... to do it the right way and to get up every day with a commitment to make Golden Eagles fans proud!
See you August 31. Let's pack The Rock!
McClain is an impressive guy. His first stint at USM was from 2012-2015, with the General. Of course the Todd Monken hire came during this time, to clean up the catastrophic fallout of the Elllloss debacle.
Notes from today's talk/Q&A:
1) McClain was thrown into the fire immediately as Doc announced his resignation before the reporters even left the building from the press conference naming him our full-time AD. He assured the large black and gold contingent that Jay Ladner was going to prove to be an excellent hire ... a passionate high energy guy that has been successful at every stop during his coaching career.
2) Doc actually orchestrated USM's inclusion in the Bahamas tournament field pitting the Eagles against some of the "blue bloods" of college basketball ... UNC, Gonzaga, etc. This was planned a couple of years back, but Sadler delayed playing in this prestigious tourney until a complete roster was in place. With Ladner's youthful roster, this may not be the most opportune time, but good exposure nonetheless.
3) Reed Green Coliseum will definitely benefit from the 1% Hattiesburg area hotels/restaurants tax increase generating $1.2 - $1.5 million annually. This financial boost is in effect for three years, with a chance to renew it for four years after that ... total revenue coming into the RGC coffers is estimated to be between $7 - $10 million. McClain added that RGC needs a facelift in the neighborhood of $30 million. He emphasized that capital upfront is preferred in renovation efforts. Immediate inadequacies may be addressed, i.e. upgrading the loading dock to allow for concerts and other events to bring in additional revenue.
4) The NCAA is allowing an additional exhibition game each season and a Mississippi Gulf Coast matchup with Ole Miss is not outside the realm of possibility. McClain emphasized that the window is narrowing though for a '19 tilt with the Rebels, with the chances of this basketball game being played around 30%. However, he expressed USM's commitment to play our in-state SEC boys frequently at Biloxi, Jackson, or other sites.
5) At these gatherings conference realignment is always a major topic of conversation. McClain pointed out emphatically that in order for the Eagles to soar to new heights, the football team MUST be highly competitive!! He added that JHop has built the team the right way and now with virtually an 85-man roster with talent and quality depth, we are in a position to contend for C-USA championships, despite a very challenging slate this fall. In McClain's estimation, our biggest game right now is August 31 versus Alcorn State. Regarding future scheduling, he mentioned that a P5 "guaranteed money" game, an FCS opponent , and home and home games with the likes of MSU, Tulane, USA, Troy is expected, in addition to our conference schedule.
6) The trajectory of financing major college sports is not sustainable. Presently, we must be innovative in increasing monies available to operate our athletic programs. Numerous strategies are being implemented to enhance the game day experience ... beer and light wine sales will begin on September 28 at the UTEP game, a major push for season ticket sales, lower concession prices, pending relocation of The Pride of Mississippi, corporate sponsorships, a family fun zone in the south endzone, replete with face painting and cotton candy, and several other creative ways to appeal to casual fans.
7) An unexpected announcement, at least one of which I was not aware, is installation of synthetic turf at The Pete, between the conclusion of fall practice and January. While he indicated that this may go against the grain with baseball purists, the conversion practically eliminates possibilities of rainouts. McClain cited one home game washed out during his four-year stint at Troy, where the Trojans played on an artificial surface. He mentioned that the C-USA Baseball Tournament agreement to host the event in Biloxi expires in 2020. Renewal of this post season event at its present location is contingent upon MGM's desire to continue hosting the event. McClain stressed that the fact that there was no better fan base in C-USA than USM's gave us a distinct advantage.
8) McClain concluded by delivering the Southern Miss mantra ... to do it the right way and to get up every day with a commitment to make Golden Eagles fans proud!
See you August 31. Let's pack The Rock!
