ABAC offers its fair share of sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country and more. However, one popular sport seems to be missing from the list. There’s baseball and basketball but wait—there’s no football. Or at least, not anymore.
ABAC had a football program from the early 1910s to the mid-1930s. It began around 1910, when ABAC was known as the Second District A&M School, and the program continued through ABAC’s changes, including becoming South Georgia A&M College in 1924, the Georgia State College for Men in 1929, and finally Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 1933.
During these years of transformation, the football program achieved several milestones, including defeating the University of Miami in 1932 and 1933. All seemed to go well for ABAC’s football program. Fans loved the team, and it was good enough to upset larger, better-known opponents.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature had a different plan. After the 1936 season, a fire destroyed the gymnasium and the team’s equipment and uniforms. The college was unable to rebuild the program and never reinstated it. ABAC transitioned from football to focus on other sports and academic initiatives. It has remained that way to this day. ABAC still does not have a football program, but I believe that should change.
According to statscore.com, “…when it comes to American fans, nothing can beat football!” Pew Research Center reports that American football is declared America’s favorite sport by a whopping 53%, with baseball as the “close second” at only 27%. While restarting the program would require purchasing equipment, uniforms, and initial startup costs, it would prove worthwhile in the long run as a way to attract both fans and prospective students from across the region. If funding is an issue, there are many other ways to raise funds, including fundraisers, product sales, digital campaigns, and community events.
ABAC football also doesn’t have to be placed in the highest division of college football (NCAA Division I) or even the NCAA. Other collegiate athletic associations operate at much lower costsand have similar benefits to college players like the NCAA.
These include the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association). The NJCAA, in particular, governs athletics for many state and junior colleges, including institutions similar to ABAC.
The ABAC student body revered the football team in its heyday. Fast forward to today—that same love could be reignited or burn even brighter. With American football even more popular than before, I feel that ABAC is passing up a great opportunity to revive its football program. It could spark love not only in the younger generation but also in the older fans and alumni who witnessed – or were part of– the Golden Stallions.
All it would take is the right people, determination and vision. In the future, ABAC students could once again watch their peers run onto the field donning their green and gold football helmets.