Wonder why Alabama is not a baseball school? Scholarships are part of the reason - WVUA 23 (2024)

By WVUA 23 Digital Reporter Josh Batchelor

The University of Alabama baseball program has a scholarship problem, an issue that dates back several decades. Alabama Athletics has a national brand represented by the “script A” and icons such as Paul W. “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban, but the baseball program is handcuffed by National Collegiate Athletics Association rulings, state laws and university regulations.

The Southeastern Conference is the most competitive and dominant conference in college baseball. Nine of the last 14 College World Series winners have come from the SEC, with 2016 being the only year an SEC team didn’t reach the College World Series.

Alabama baseball peaked in the 1990s, making it to three of the last four College World Series of the century. After a fourth-place finish in 1999, Alabama has failed to reach the College World Series again. Missouri and Kentucky are the only two SEC programs that have a longer College World Series drought than Alabama. The program has reached super-regional play only three times in the 21st century, most recently in 2023.

But why has Alabama baseball fallen so far behind its SEC rivals?

College baseball is one of many collegiate sports that are designated as “equivalency sports,” a model that divides a limited number of scholarships among a roster. Every collegiate baseball program deals with the complications of dividing 11.7 scholarships among 27 players. However, Alabama baseball trails SEC schools that provide financial aid through revenue from education lotteries or waive out-of-state tuition for scholarship players.

College baseball scholarships

The NCAA issues different scholarship models to different sports. College football and basketball have “head-count” scholarships, meaning every player on scholarship gets a full ride.

But it’s a common misconception that if you have an athletic scholarship, you’re not paying for school.

Jake Walters pitched at the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2018 and said he’s had several encounters where people were shocked that a college baseball player wasn’t getting his schooling for free.

“People assume you are on a full ride,” Walters said. “I’m not saying it sucks to be a college baseball player, but most people don’t know that we have partial scholarships.”

Collegiate baseball coaches decide how to distribute 11.7 scholarships among 27 players on scholarship. These are often strategic decisions based on out-of-state status and positional importance.

Taylor Dugas played at the University of Alabama from 2009 to 2012. He earned a scholarship covering 70% of his expenses, but he said his mother Dona had to work extra jobs to pay for his books and housing. Taylor currently serves as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Southeastern Louisiana University’s baseball program, so now he’s forced to make those same decisions on who gets what.

“Just like at Alabama, it’s hard for Taylor to explain to players why they aren’t getting as much coverage as their teammates,” Dona Dugas said. “It’s tough to do that and be humane.”

Tracey Booth is the mother of former Alabama player Brett Booth, who was among the top scholarship earners for Alabama baseball from 2010 to 2013. Tracey said she’s mindful of other families’ financial situations regarding scholarships.

“Money is a sensitive subject,” Tracey Booth said. “It would be rude to go and ask another parent how much their kid’s scholarship is worth.”

Cobie Vance was one of the most talented and beloved players to play for Alabama baseball in the 2010s. Vance, who’s a North Carolina native, demanded a scholarship to cover most of his tuition. Mitch Gaspard, Alabama baseball’s head coach at the time, offered Vance a scholarship that covered 68% of his freshman tuition.

“Not being from Alabama and being a middle infielder were big reasons why my scholarship coverage was so high,” Vance said. “Coach Gaspard knew it would take more to get me there. I wanted at least 50%, but they were overly generous.”

After his freshman year, Vance said his scholarship dropped every year despite his dominance on the field, to 50% and then 45%. Another reason Alabama lessened Vance’s coverage was because he was awarded the GI Bill for his father’s military service. That covered the remainder of his scholarship during his sophom*ore and junior seasons.

But getting coverage outside athletic scholarships are the exception, not the norm. Walters mentioned many role players lost scholarship coverage if the team took on more transfer players. Walters was among the players who had to pay for the rest of school, and that was a major financial burden.

“I was one of the highest earners on the team as 60% of my scholarship and books were covered,” Walters said. “Even after being drafted to Major League Baseball five years ago, I’m still paying off my student loans.”

University of Alabama tuition

High out-of-state tuition at the University of Alabama is hindering Alabama’s ability to recruit elite out-of-state baseball talent. In 2024, in-state students pay $11,100 a year in tuition while out-of-state students pay $32,400. Without the allure of full-ride scholarships, it’s more difficult for Alabama baseball coaching staff to sign premiere national recruits.

Jose and Elizabeth Tamez, parents of former Alabama catcher Dominic Tamez, believe Alabama’s high out-of-state tuition prevents the program from landing elite, out-of-state talent.

“The University of Alabama wants more out-of-state students because of how much more money they can make,” Jose said. “While it helps the university, it hurts Alabama baseball, as recruits will go to other SEC schools where it is cheaper.”

Of the 14 schools in the SEC, Alabama has the fifth-highest out-of-state tuition at $32,400. Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Kentucky and Texas A&M are the only schools more expensive for out-of-state students.

Before attending Alabama, Tamez played for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He grew up in Texas, but Arkansas waived his out-of-state tuition. Several former players and parents said they believe Alabama should waive out-of-state tuition for players.

UA Deputy Director of Athletics Mike Ward said Alabama can’t waive out-of-state tuition for scholarship players because that entails preferential treatment for student-athletes.

“Not waiving fees for out-of-state players is a real detriment to the program,” said David Pinckney, father of former Alabama outfielder Andrew Pinckney. “Alabama is not able to get the players they should.”

Nathaniel Kilcrease played at Alabama from 2008 to 2011 and joined Alabama’s coaching staff shortly after as a volunteer assistant. While working with staff on recruiting, he noticed Alabama is forced to recruit more local talent instead of looking out of state.

“Even when I was being recruited to play, they prioritized in-state guys like me,” Kilcrease said. “The best high school player in Alabama is often not as good as the best player in Georgia, Florida or Texas. We are missing out on a lot of talent nationwide because we won’t waive out-of-state fees for players.”

Every SEC baseball program has the same issue in dividing 11.7 scholarships among players, but Alabama and Auburn are the only teams in the conference that can’t can’t bolster its scholarships through a state lottery.

The lottery

Section 65 of the Alabama State Constitution details: “The Legislature shall have no power to authorize lotteries or gift enterprises for any purposes and shall pass laws to prohibit the sale in this state of lottery or gift enterprise tickets.”

Alabama voters turned down a lottery bill in 1999 and all attempts since haven’t made it past lawmakers, meaning a state lottery has been illegal since Aug. 2, 1819. As of 2024, Alabama is one of five lottery holdouts in the country. Every state bordering Alabama now has one, with Mississippi being the most recent to get a lottery running in 2020.

That means Alabamians interested in playing cross state lines and give their money to Georgia, Florida, Mississippi or Tennessee.

“A lot of people in Alabama hop in their cars and cross state lines to play the lottery,” said Alabama State Rep. Matt Simpson. “My parents often drove from Baldwin County to Florida to buy a ticket.”

Some states use their lotteries to fund education and athletic scholarships. Factoring in taxes and winner payouts, Alabama is estimated to make upwards of $300 million a year if it entered the lottery fray, according to a 2020 report by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama.

“I’ve always thought there was a lot of money leaving the state and it has never made much sense to me on why Alabama doesn’t have a lottery,” Simpson said. “The numbers I have seen show that Alabama would make roughly half of that $300 million figure. I don’t think it will have a monumental impact on our education budget, as it would be a decimal of our current $8.2 billion education budget. In my opinion, the revenue from a lottery shouldn’t go to athletic scholarships, but rather paying off student loans for Alabama residents.”

Following Alabama baseball’s best season in over a decade in 2023, Alabama lost two of its best underclassman to the transfer portal. Colby Shelton was one of Alabama’s best hitters, setting the record for a freshman at Alabama with 25 home runs. Days after the season ended, Shelton transferred to Florida, where his tuition will be aided by a lottery scholarship known as the Sunshine Scholarship.

The University of Florida is confined to distributing 11.7 scholarships among 27 players like every collegiate baseball program, but the Sunshine Scholarship allows Florida baseball to expand financial aid across its roster. In-state players who receive the Sunshine Scholarship don’t count toward the 11.7 scholarship limit, meaning the program can offer better scholarships for elite out-of-state talent.

Like Shelton, Alabama star pitcher Luke Holman decided to transfer to LSU, the reigning national champions, because of higher scholarship coverage and increased Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. Shelton and Holman were expected to be key contributors for the 2024 Alabama baseball program.

“I think if Alabama had a lottery, they probably wouldn’t be losing guys like Colby Shelton and Luke Holman to rival teams,” Pinckney said.

Before NIL and the transfer portal, players typically transferred because they didn’t get enough play time. Now, many players are entering the portal for more NIL money or scholarship coverage. Alabama’s rival SEC schools can offer players more financial security thanks to lottery-funded scholarships.

Alabama’s 2024 gaming bill died in the legislature, meaning the earliest it can be brought up for discussion again is in the 2025 legislative session.

Possible solutions

Alabama baseball has shown signs over the past few decades that it could compete against SEC baseball powerhouses, but it lacks the sustained consistency that LSU, Florida and Vanderbilt have had in the 21st century.

“I think we held our own when I was there 10 to 15 years ago,” Kilcrease said. “With NIL, the transfer portal and no lottery, that gap has gradually expanded over time.”

Josh Rutledge was one of Alabama baseball’s biggest success stories, dominating college baseball before playing six years in the MLB. He explained how difficult it has been for Alabama to compete against lottery-funded programs like Georgia and Florida.

“It’s tough to compete with Georgia, which has the HOPE Scholarship, and Florida with the Sunshine Scholarship,” Rutledge said. “I know a lot of guys who would go pro or to an out-of-state college because of Alabama’s scholarship system. It’s about what colleges can do not only for the players on the field and their development but for the parents financially.”

Born and raised in Vestavia Hills, Georgie Salem grew up with a love for the Crimson Tide and the state of Alabama. Salem believes a lottery would be the most impactful measure for Alabama education and athletic scholarships.

“I’d like to see the scholarship change to a head-count style and rise from 11.7 to 27,” Salem said. “However, when we are talking about more immediate impact, the lottery would do wonders for not only the state but Alabama baseball as well. It would make it easier for Alabama to recruit and maintain elite talent like never before.”

In his son’s single season at Arkansas, Jose Tamez saw what it takes to be a successful SEC program. He believes having a lottery was a major advantage for Arkansas to recruit talent like his son.

“Players want to be associated with a brand and Alabama baseball needs to build theirs up,” Tamez said. “A lottery would tremendously help Alabama’s ability to get back on track and be competitive.”

Several former Alabama players believe raising the number of baseball scholarships is a practical, realistic solution to the issue. Salem, Vance and Kilcrease all believe baseball should be a head count sport and fund 27 scholarships. Walters said 18 scholarships would be a good start, and Josh Rutledge believes at least 25 scholarships should be the new standard.

“Raising the scholarship amount to 27 would be a dramatic, massive change to college baseball,” Salem said. “However, I believe it is necessary due to it requiring an athlete’s full attention. It’s only right to reward players and their families for all they invest into the sport.”