For more than 80 years, basketball had been considered a staple sport at ABAC.Having a men’s (Golden Stallions) and women’s (Fillies) team, the sport enjoyed a successful run winning decades’ worth of championships and titles. Many of the coaches and players have been recognized for their achievements throughout the years.
What was once considered a sport that brought members of the community together, now just remains a memory as all players and coaches have since moved on.
In 2008, former ABAC president Dr. Bridges announced that the school was cutting both the men and women’s basketball
teams effective immediately. He cited the combination of rising gas prices, state budget cutbacks and the lack of head coaches for the teams as reason for the disbandment.
Though many expressed disappointments at the decision, Dr. Bridges remained confident in the belief that eliminating the sport would be a financial benefit in the long run while also strengthening the school’s other six sports that they had at the time.
ABAC has seen several sports come and go, including women’s basketball for a 15-year time period starting in 1986 season, citing low participation caused by competition with recruiting senior colleges and universities. While the school was optimistic about the possibility of basketball returning, there has been no serious push yet in its 13-year absence.
With former ABAC basketball teams and coaches being inducted into the hall of fame in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, it is clear that the sport is still on someone’s radar.
In 2018, ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture hosted a “Glory Days”exhibit, showcasing old sports memorabiliaincluding those from the school’s basketball teams.
In 2019, ABAC’s 1968-69 Golden Stallions men’s basketball team was inducted into the ABAC Athletics Hall of Fame. 12 players and their coach Vann Bracken attended the ceremony. The Stallions were the first intercollegiate athletics team at ABAC with Black players, prompting change since integration was still making its way across the South.
The team had a 25-6 record and won the Southern Conference of the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association (GJCAA) with a perfect 12-0. They averaged 93 points a game and scored over 100 points nine times.
In 2020, ABAC’s 2002 Fillies women’s state championship team were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Headed by Coach Julie Connor. After their win the Fillies hosted the first and only women’s basketball national tournament game in the history of ABAC. Coach Connor went on to coach the Lady Devil’s girl basketball team at ABAC following the disbandment.
Students can play basketball at ABAC, just not on a collegiate level. Through intramural sports and a court in the athletic field, students have the opportunity to play for fun, not for academic benefits.
With a new ABAC President who had a history of playing college basketball anda new athletic director, it is possible that
basketball could come back into talks. With the addition of cross country as a new ABAC sport last semester under the coaching of
former Tift County High School Cross County coach Mike Beeman, there is some hope that an official team could possibly be reinstated in the future. If so, it could bring a wider variety of students at ABAC.