Alabama Softball National Rankings
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Following losses last week, the Crimson Tide slid one spot in both major polls last week. There were no new teams either entering or dropping for the top 10 in either poll this week. The top five remain the same, with Florida holding on to the No. 1 slot, followed by Florida State, Arizona, Minnesota and Oregon in both polls.
UA softball defeated Samford last week, but then fell on the road to Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss ( No. 21/21 this week). Following the weekend series, Bama now sits at 39-13 overall and 11-9 in SEC play. The Crimson Tide is currently ranked fifth in the SEC, with only the No. 9/10 Auburn Tigers remaining to be played on the regular-season schedule. The Tide will face off with the Tigers this weekend.
Alabama is one of nine Southeastern Conference programs showing up in this week's top 25 national rankings. All 13 SEC teams (only the Vanderbilt Commodores do not play SEC softball) are either ranked or receiving votes in at least one poll this week. Ranked SEC teams include Florida (1/1), Texas A&M (8/6), Auburn (9/10), Tennessee (11/9), Alabama (14/15), Kentucky (16/18), LSU (18/19), Ole Miss (21/21) and Arkansas (24/RV). Though outside the top 25, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Missouri are each receiving votes this week.
The Crimson Tide concludes the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against the Auburn Tigers, with the games scheduled to begin this Friday, May 5th in beautiful Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Friday's contest is slated for a 7 p.m. start, with Saturday's game set to be broadcast live on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT. Sunday's finale will be aired on ESPN2 at 12 p.m. CT.
Here is a look at both major polls:
2017 USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll
Week 12 – May 2, 2017
| Rank | Team | Totals | 2017 Record | Last Poll | ||||||
1 |
Florida (18) | 783 | 46-4 | 1 | ||||||
| 2 | Florida State (11) | 775 | 47-3-1 | 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Arizona (1) | 723 | 47-5 | 3 | ||||||
| 4 | Minnesota (2) | 711 | 48-3 | 4 | ||||||
| 5 | Oregon | 661 | 41-6 | 6 | ||||||
| 6 | Oklahoma | 624 | 44-8 | 7 | ||||||
| 7 | Washington | 589 | 37-10 | 8 | ||||||
| 8 | Texas A&M | 587 | 41-7 | 5 | ||||||
| 9 | Auburn | 547 | 43-8 | 9 | ||||||
| 10 | Utah | 503 | 30-9 | 10 | ||||||
| 11 | Tennessee | 490 | 42-8 | 11 | ||||||
| 12 | UCLA | 447 | 37-12 | 12 | ||||||
| 13 | James Madison | 398 | 44-6 | 14 | ||||||
| 14 | Alabama | 378 | 39-12 | 13 | ||||||
| 15 | Louisiana | 330 | 39-6 | 16 | ||||||
| 16 | Kentucky | 319 | 34-14 | 18 | ||||||
| 17 | Baylor | 313 | 39-10 | 15 | ||||||
| 18 | LSU | 269 | 37-15 | 17 | ||||||
| 19 | Michigan | 227 | 37-10-1 | 19 | ||||||
| 20 | BYU | 177 | 36-10 | 21 | ||||||
| 21 | Ole Miss | 173 | 33-17 | 20 | ||||||
| 22 | Arizona State | 99 | 28-16 | 23 | ||||||
| 23 | Marshall | 68 | 38-7 | 25 | ||||||
| 24 | Arkansas | 45 | 30-18 | 24 | ||||||
| 25 | Tulsa | 37 | 36-13 | RV | ||||||
Dropped Out: No. 22 Georgia
New to Poll: No. 25 Tulsa
Receiving Votes: Georgia (31), Illinois (24), South Carolina (19), Mississippi State (13), Texas State (13), Florida International (11), Missouri (7), Saint Francis (Pa.) (7), Wisconsin (1), Illinois State (1).
*Poll courtesy of USA Today
ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25
2017 Season – Week 12 – May 2, 2017
| Rank | Team | Record* | Points | Previous Ranking |
| 1. | Florida (13) | 46-4 | 489 | 1 |
| 2. | Florida State (4) | 47-3-1 | 476 | 3 |
| 3. | Arizona | 47-5 | 462 | 2 |
| 4. | Minnesota (3) | 48-3 | 444 | 5 |
| 5. | Oregon | 41-6 | 406 | 6 |
| 6. | Texas A&M | 41-7 | 384 | 4 |
| 7. | Oklahoma | 44-8 | 381 | 7 |
| 8. | Washington | 37-10 | 361 | 9 |
| 9. | Tennessee | 42-8 | 354 | 8 |
| 10. | Auburn | 43-8 | 330 | 10 |
| 11. | Utah | 30-9 | 295 | 11 |
| 12. | UCLA | 37-12 | 273 | 12 |
| 13. | Baylor | 39-10 | 237 | 13 |
| 14. | James Madison | 44-6 | 223 | 15 |
| 15. | Alabama | 39-12 | 214 | 14 |
| 16. | Louisiana | 39-6 | 212 | 16 |
| 17. | Michigan | 37-10-1 | 176 | 17 |
| 18. | Kentucky | 34-14 | 175 | 19 |
| 19. | LSU | 37-15 | 147 | 18 |
| 20. | BYU | 36-10 | 116 | 20 |
| 21. | Ole Miss | 33-17 | 103 | 21 |
| 22. | Illinois | 35-12 | 71 | 22 |
| 23. | Arizona State | 28-16 | 50 | 23 |
| 24. | Tulsa | 36-13 | 36 | RV |
| 25. | Marshall | 38-7 | 14 | RV |
Parenthesis denotes first place votes.
Dropped Out: California (24), Georgia (25)
New to Poll: Tulsa (RV), Marshall (RV)
Others receiving votes: South Carolina (13), California (11), Arkansas (10), Ohio State (10), Texas State (9), USC Upstate (6), Georgia (4), Missouri (3), Mississippi State (2), Oklahoma State (2), Wisconsin (1)
*Poll courtesy ESPN
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Alabama's Nick Saban Agrees To New Contract
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| University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Under a new contract, UA football coach Nick Saban will get a three-year extension, be paid a total of $11.125 million this season that includes a $4 million signing bonus. The new contract was approved yesterday by the University of Alabama board of trustees' compensation committee.
Saban's new contract is an eight-year deal, with a total payout of $65 million that doesn't include incentive bonuses that could total as much as $700,000 annually. The new deal will run through January 31, 2025 (or the 2024 season following bowl & playoff games).
USA Today is reporting that the $11.125 million to be paid to Saban this season is by far the largest amount to be paid to a college athletics coach. According to the newspaper it makes Saban one of the most highly paid public employees, if not the highest-paid, in the country.
At one time Saban was the nation's highest paid public university football coach. Since, this past season, however, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh took that honor. He is set to make $7 million this season (now less than Saban's compensation package for 2917) and $7.5 million for the 2018 season. Harbaugh's compensation for 2016, incidentally, was $9 million because of a $2 million deferred compensation payment.
College football coaches' contracts can be quite creative in their structure. Saban's contract annually includes a base salary, the "talent fee" and an annual contract-year completion payment that becomes payable should he remain Alabama's head coach as of the date of its final football game of each of the contract years, but does not include any postseason game or games. In each year of Saban's contract, his base salary will be $245,000 and his talent fee will be $6.48 million. The contract-year completion payments will vary year to year.
After this current season, when the contract-year completion payment would be $400,000, Saban's contract is set to pay out:
- $7.125 million in 2018, including a $400,000 contract-year completion payment.
- $7.525 million in 2019 and again in 2020, including contract-year completion payments of $800,000.
- $10.325 million in 2021, including a contract-year completion payment of $3.6 million.
- $7.125 million in each of the deal's final three years (2022-24), during which each contract-completion payment is scheduled to be $400,000.
In a statement from UA, Saban said, "Terry and I are pleased and happy to agree to the contract
extension. The University
of Alabama has offered us, ensuring our time here in Tuscaloosa will
continue for many more years. This has become our home and we are
looking forward to finishing our career at Alabama."
In 21 seasons as a college football coach, Saban has compiled a record of 210-61-1, including five national titles with four of those coming while at The Capstone. At Alabama, Saban boasts a record of 119-19 in 10 seasons. Following his 7-6 in 2007 (first season at Alabama), Saban has won at least 10 in each of the past nine seasons. Incidentally, the Crimson Tide reached No. 1 in the AP poll at least once in each of those past nine years.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – University of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban is well-known for his philanthropy. This time he teamed up with former Alabama Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram to help raise money for Nick's Kids and the University of Alabama. The pair shot a 7-under par at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge on Tuesday to raise $50,000 for the two causes.
The charity golf tournament has been held annually since 2007, and this year featured a 15-team field of NCAA head coaches and celebrity alumni who competing for a first-place prize of $100,000 in scholarship and charity. All participating teams will receive a portion of the $630,000 total purse.
In addition to that $630,000 charity and scholarship payout, another $170,000 was accumulated for charitable organizations that brought the 2017 total to $800,000 in charitable giving. Since its inception in 2007, the event has contributed a total of $6.8 million in scholarship and charity, helping make the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football's most charitable bowl game.
In 21 seasons as a college football coach, Saban has compiled a record of 210-61-1, including five national titles with four of those coming while at The Capstone. At Alabama, Saban boasts a record of 119-19 in 10 seasons. Following his 7-6 in 2007 (first season at Alabama), Saban has won at least 10 in each of the past nine seasons. Incidentally, the Crimson Tide reached No. 1 in the AP poll at least once in each of those past nine years.
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Crimson Tide Football Assistants Get Raises
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Alabama head football coach Nick Saban wasn't the only coach at the University of Alabama to receive a pay increase. All of the head man's assistant coaches got raises, and the contracts for the newbies were officially approved as well.
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will be paid $1.2 million annual, which is actually a savings of $200,000 annually which was paid to former OC Lane Kiffin last season. He has a three-year deal.
Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt received a raise for this season. He was bumped up to $1.3 million from $1 million in 2016. Het gets an additional $100,000 each of the three years of his contract while at Alabama, for a total of $1.5 million in 2019.
Outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi received a hefty bump. His salary jumps from $550,000 to $950,000 annually for a three-year period. This will be Lupoi's third season with the Crimson Tide.
Wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Mike Locksley will be paid $$600,000 annual for a two-year deal.
Tight ends coach Joe Pannunzio will receive $375,000 annually for two years.
Offensive line coach Brent Key will be paid $400,000 a year for a two-year period.
Running backs coach Burton Burns will receive $490,000 annually for a two year contract.
Defensive backs coach Derek Ansley will be paid $405,000 yearly for two years.
Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar will receive $275,000 per year for a two-year period.
All told, Alabama's nine on-field assistants will make $5.995 million in 2017.
Not included in that total is strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran will receive $535,000 annually, up $10,000 from last season.
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Nick Saban & Mark Ingram Raise $50,000
At Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge
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| Nick Saban & Mark Ingram Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The charity golf tournament has been held annually since 2007, and this year featured a 15-team field of NCAA head coaches and celebrity alumni who competing for a first-place prize of $100,000 in scholarship and charity. All participating teams will receive a portion of the $630,000 total purse.
In addition to that $630,000 charity and scholarship payout, another $170,000 was accumulated for charitable organizations that brought the 2017 total to $800,000 in charitable giving. Since its inception in 2007, the event has contributed a total of $6.8 million in scholarship and charity, helping make the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football's most charitable bowl game.
