University of South Alabama - Athletics and Traditions

Athletics and Traditions

The Jaguars participate in 15 NCAA sanctioned sports (7 men 8 women), and are founding members of the Sun Belt Conference. All sports participate in the Sun Belt conference, a Division 1/FBS conference.

The school is often referred to as simply "South" "USA" or the "Jags," but the more formal South Alabama is often used as well.

The university announced the creation of a NCAA sanctioned football team on December 6, 2007, with the goal of fast tracking the program to full FBS status by the 2013 season. The school's first ever game was played on September 5, 2009 in front of 26,000+ fans. The football team is led by head coach Joey Jones, former Alabama player under Paul "Bear" Bryant. (More information on the program can be found at South Alabama Jaguars football.)

The Jaguars lost at NC State 35-13 during the 2011 football season, the program's first ever game against a FBS opponent and its first ever loss after going a combined 19-0 during its first 2+ seasons. And after a furious comeback, the Jags fell short at Kent State 33-25 with the final play of the game ending on the Kent State 9 yard line. The Jaguars finished the 2011 season 6-4. The Jaguars have future football contests scheduled with Mississippi St, NC State, Hawaii, Navy, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma St, Tulane, Georgia, Nebraska, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Miss, including home contests with many of those schools in the future years.

The baseball program enjoyed much success under Coach Eddie Stanky (for whom the baseball stadium and field on campus is now named after), and later Coach Steve Kittrell, coming one win away from the College World Series six different times. The Jaguars have produced a litany of Major League Baseball talent. The most notable current players are David Freese, who was both the 2011 National League Championship Series MVP and 2011 World Series MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals, and Juan Pierre, a World Series winner with the Florida Marlins in 2003. Coach Steve Kittrell retired at the end of the 2011 season, and handed over the position to the coach in waiting, Mark Calvi, who had been on staff for that final year. Calvi was the pitching coach at the University of South Carolina when the Gamecocks won the College World Series in 2010.

The basketball program has reached the NCAA tournament eight times, with its only win coming against the University of Alabama in 1989. The Jaguars have been beaten by the eventual national champion 3 of those 8 times (Michigan, Arizona, & Florida), including in 1989 when after defeating Alabama, the Jags went on to play the University of Michigan, who went on to win the championship that year. The Jags received an at-large bid in 2008 and were awarded a 10 seed. The first round contest was played against an up and comer in Butler, who many felt were well under-seeded as a 7 seed that year.