2008 Woodie Awards
Community expresses support for USA football
Leigh Patton
Managing Editor
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Nearly 80 percent of Mobile County residents believe the University of South Alabama should have a football program according to a Press-Register/University of South Alabama poll. The poll includes 404 adults in Mobile County with a margin of error of 5 percent.
USA has closely been looking at a football program since the beginning of the fall semester. The University is currently gauging level of support from several key constituents, which include the students alumni, community leaders, board of trustees, the community at large and faculty.
The polling suggest extremely high level of support. Other early indicators of support from key constituents look positive according to USA President Gordon Moulton in a Vanguard interview.
The survey also indicated that 25 percent of the Mobile community would plan to regularly attend games at Ladd Peebles Stadium.
"I don't think Ladd Stadium could hold one-fourth of the people in Mobile County," Keith Nicholls, political science professor and director of USA polling group, said. "That's a lot of people and to me that's a positive sign."
The survey also suggests that the 12 percent of the community would likely purchase season tickets.
According to Moulton he believes that USA has a strong potential for raising money in the community to support athletics that wasn't detected previously.
Though the push by administrators is to get USA playing at top level of college football as quickly as possible, the majority of respondents believe South Alabama would be better off starting in a lower division.
USA has closely been looking at a football program since the beginning of the fall semester. The University is currently gauging level of support from several key constituents, which include the students alumni, community leaders, board of trustees, the community at large and faculty.
The polling suggest extremely high level of support. Other early indicators of support from key constituents look positive according to USA President Gordon Moulton in a Vanguard interview.
The survey also indicated that 25 percent of the Mobile community would plan to regularly attend games at Ladd Peebles Stadium.
"I don't think Ladd Stadium could hold one-fourth of the people in Mobile County," Keith Nicholls, political science professor and director of USA polling group, said. "That's a lot of people and to me that's a positive sign."
The survey also suggests that the 12 percent of the community would likely purchase season tickets.
According to Moulton he believes that USA has a strong potential for raising money in the community to support athletics that wasn't detected previously.
Though the push by administrators is to get USA playing at top level of college football as quickly as possible, the majority of respondents believe South Alabama would be better off starting in a lower division.
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