County Commission Approves $45,000 For Gulf Coast Classic

Alabama Mobile The money matches last year’s contribution of $50000 minus the 10% cut made to all county appropriations to balance this year’s budget.

by WKRG Staff

Published: Tue, October 13, 2009 - 11:21 am CST Last Updated: Tue, October 13, 2009 - 12:05 pm CST

MOBILE, Alabama - The Mobile County Commission approved $45,000 for the annual Gulf Coast Classic.

The football game, which is scheduled for November 14th at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, features two historically black schools, Alabama State University in Montgomery and Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The money from the Mobile County Commission is equal to last year’s contribution of $50,000, minus the 10-percent cut made to all county appropriations to balance this year’s budget.

Commissioners praised Amelia Bacon, the GCC's new executive director for obtaining Commonwealth National Bank as the title sponsor and for her commitment to pay the debts owed from last year’s game.

Bacon said last year’s game was marred by mismanagement.

“The Classic was run by a group of promoters last year,” Bacon said. “That was not appropriate.”

“What we’ve got is the total package,” said Commission president Mike Dean about the new executive director. “She brings people together, and she has business sense and accountability.”

Commissioner Stephen Nodine said the county would “do all possible to make (the game) a success.”

“It’s important that the community has rallied around the game,” said Commissioner Merceria Ludgood. “It’s been an asset to the community for 34 years. A strong coalition will guarantee its future.”

The city council last month approved giving $47,500 for this year's came. There was some controversy last year about the $275,000 the city contributed to the game and whether the schools got the amount they were supposed to.

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aubiefan Says:

Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 1:51 pm

just goes to show the citizens who work hard for their money will get jipped EVERYTIME!!

Alabama Patriot Says:

Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 1:50 pm

You’ve heard of the bottomless pit? Well, this is one of those. Mobile will continue to throw money into this type of thing until it goes broke. I know that the governor of Alabama said that gambling is illegal in this state, but Mobile continues to do it anyway. Many, many people stay away from any games played in these crime-ridden areas of the city, so it will be hard to sell-out the stadium on a consistant basis and it will always lose money. The local residents would much rather have seen this money spent on capital improvements in their neighborhoods instead of spent on mere speculation and hopes for a financial windfall. JMO

BamaBeachBum Says:

Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 12:51 pm

And once again, the taxpayers of Mobile get stiffed. We should have learned our lesson last year, when “our” city leaders gave the game almost $300,000.00 of our money to be wasted by the “committee”. The schools still have not recieved their portion of the funds promised to them, as of last report. And the game last year did not bring in any more funds for the city than it has in years past. Same attendance numbers. Same old, same old, here in Mobile.