College athletics aren’t perfect. A couple of recent incidents at my alma mater, the University of Georgia, bear this fact out. In the early hours of the morning after the team and fans celebrated the Bulldogs’ second consecutive national championship in football, an SUV with an athletic department staffer at the wheel crashed, killing the staffer and a football player and injuring two others.
Authorities even filed charges against another player for allegedly racing the SUV, which belonged to the athletic department and which the staffer had no business driving at that time. A few days later, police arrested UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett, who had led the team to both championships, for drunkenly knocking on doors early in the morning.
I’ve brought both of these incidents up to demonstrate that even the best college athletic programs have their issues, but I also mentioned them to defuse anybody who would accuse me of ignoring my own alma mater as I throw stones at a conference rival.
Something is wrong in the athletic department at the University of Alabama. No, it doesn’t involve the football team, where Head Coach Nick Saban runs a tight ship. But among other sports and at the administrative level, the Crimson Tide has some serious issues.
Just this week, two alarming incidents revealed some of the trouble in Tuscaloosa. On Sunday, police arrested deputy athletic director Matt Self on domestic violence charges.
“According to the Tuscaloosa Police Department, law enforcement was called after midnight, and following an investigation, Self was arrested,” reported 24/7 Sports. “Placed on a 24-hour domestic violence hold with bond set at $300, Self was no longer listed in the inmate database Monday afternoon. Additional details surrounding the Sunday incident were not available from Tuscaloosa police.”
According to CBS Sports, Self’s job within the athletic department involves “‘all areas of compliance with NCAA, SEC, and UA rules and regulations.’ He also oversees equipment operations, sports medicine, nutrition, strength and conditioning and he is the administrator for both football and volleyball. He also works directly with the UA Office of Counsel, UA President’s Office, UA Systems Office, and outside counsel to assist in contracts and legislative issues.”
“Alabama Athletics is aware of this incident,” a spokesperson for the University of Alabama said in a statement. “We take such matters seriously and will continue to gather more information to address this personnel matter.”
Then, on Thursday, the Crimson Tide fired head baseball coach Brad Bohannon following an investigation into suspicious betting activity surrounding last Friday’s baseball game between Alabama and Louisiana State University.
ESPN’s David Purdum reports that “Sportsbook surveillance video indicated that the person who placed the bets was communicating with Bohannon at the time, multiple sources with direct information about the investigation told ESPN.”
The whole story involves multiple states and is a fascinating example of how sports betting has taken over our society. The alleged suspicious activity took place in Indiana and Ohio, which involved both states, as well as U.S. Integrity, a “Las Vegas-based integrity firm” (try not to laugh).
The university announced that it was letting Bohannon go for “among other things, violating the standards, duties, and responsibilities expected of University employees.” The NCAA and the Southeastern Conference are launching investigations of their own into the incident as well.
Alabama basketball has had its own troubles this year. On Jan. 15, 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris was shot and killed, and the alleged gunmen were Crimson Tide players Darius Miles, Michael “Buzz” Davis, and Brandon Miller. Miles and Davis faced charges, and Alabama dismissed them from the team, but the school continued to let Miller play even into the NCAA tournament, which drew controversy.
“It’s just unimaginable, and it’s like his life is just going on,’’ Harris’ mom told USA Today. “He took a brief pause and it didn’t stop. It’s like, OK, slap on the wrist and go play ball.”
Two Alabama fans even wore shirts that read, “Killin’ our way through the SEC in ‘23” to the SEC tournament. Vanderbilt fans chanted “Brandon Killer” as Miller played, while another fan shouted “God is gonna judge you” at Miller.
It’s painfully obvious that in 2023, the University of Alabama has some issues with its athletic department. Here’s hoping the school will get all of those problems under control.
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