South Alabama Jaguars Football: A History of Growth and Achievement

The South Alabama Jaguars football program represents the University of South Alabama in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The program's relatively short history is marked by rapid growth, notable victories, and increasing competitiveness within the Sun Belt Conference.

Inception and Early Years (2007-2012)

On December 6, 2007, the university's board of trustees approved the addition of football to the intercollegiate athletics program. The inaugural season kicked off on September 5, 2009, with a 30-13 victory over Hargrave Military Academy in front of over 26,000 fans. After playing a seven-game schedule in 2009, the Jaguars played 10 games in 2010.

The 2011 season marked the beginning of South Alabama's transition to Division I FBS status. The Jaguars competed as a Division I-FCS independent for the 2011 season. Originally scheduled for 11 games, the season was reduced to 10 games after early contract terminations with UC Davis and Edward Waters College, replaced by a game against Mississippi Valley State. The 2011 schedule included schools from NCAA Division I-FBS, NCAA Division I-FCS, and NCAA Division II. Notably, the 2011 season also saw the first televised games in program history, with the season opener against West Alabama broadcast on local channel WJTC and ESPN3.

The 2012 season was South Alabama's final year in the transition phase to full Division I-FBS status. The Jaguars began facing Sun Belt Conference teams in a full conference schedule but were ineligible for the conference title or postseason bowl games. The team struggled with a 1-4 record in non-conference play, their only victory against FCS opponent Nicholls State. Conference play also proved challenging, with a 1-7 record, their sole win against Florida Atlantic.

Full FBS Status and Bowl Eligibility (2013-2017)

The South Alabama Jaguars gained full Division I FBS status for the 2013-14 season in the Sun Belt Conference, and became eligible to win the Sun Belt Championship and for a postseason Bowl game. The team finished the year at .500 with a 6-6 record, going 4-2 in home games.

The South Alabama Jaguars finished the 2014 season with a record of 6-6, making them bowl eligible for the second straight year. On December 3, President Tony Waldrop accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, marking the first bowl game in South Alabama football history. In their 5th year of competition, and their 2nd of bowl eligibility, South Alabama broke Florida Atlantic's record and became the youngest FBS team to make a bowl game. The 2015 South Alabama Jaguars football team was led by seventh-year head coach Joey Jones. The Jaguars were members of the Sun Belt Conference.

In 2016, South Alabama recorded its first victory over an SEC opponent when it defeated Mississippi State by a score of 21-20 the opening weekend of the season. The victory was also USA's first over a Power 5 opponent. South Alabama stunned No. 19 San Diego State 42-24 for their first win over a ranked opponent.

On December 7, 2017, Steve Campbell was announced as the new coach for South Alabama football, starting in 2018.

Coaching Changes and Continued Bowl Appearances (2018-Present)

Campbell coached for 3 seasons at South Alabama and went 3-9, 2-10, and 4-7 in those seasons. On December 12, 2020, Kane Wommack was named the head coach of the Jaguars football program.

In his first season with the Jaguars, Wommack went 5-7 overall and 2-6 in conference play. In his second season as the head coach, Wommack led the team to a 10-2 record (7-1 in conference play) and their first bowl game since the Joey Jones era. In his third season as the head coach, Wommack led the team to a 7-6 record (4-4 in conference play) and their first bowl game win in program history.

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On January 18, 2024, Major Applewhite was named as the new head coach for the Jaguars. During Major Applewhite's first season as head coach, he led the Jaguars to a 7-6 record (5 - 3 in conference play) and their 2nd bowl win in team history.

Program Overview

Bowl Games

South Alabama has participated in five bowl games.

Rivalries

South Alabama and Troy are in-state and Sun Belt Conference rivals.

Home Stadium

Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been home to the South Alabama Jaguars football program since it was established in 2009. Ladd-Peebles has been a key venue in Mobile's history. Opened in 1948, the first event held inside the stadium was a college football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Vanderbilt Commodores on October 2, 1948. The stadium also lives in Alabama Crimson Tide football folklore as the site of head coach Bear Bryant's first game in charge of the Crimson Tide. In January 2019, the university announced a new stadium name - Hancock Whitney Stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 25,450.

Facilities

The South Alabama Football Fieldhouse covers 49,000 square feet of space, which includes an 8,000-square-foot weight room. It was designed to be functional and to have a "wow" factor for recruiting.

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The South Alabama Jaguar Training Center (JTC) was opened on August 3, 2018, and is the largest covered practice facility in the state of Alabama. The 65-foot tall facility includes a full size regulation football field along with a 15-yard practice area and regulation field goal posts at each end.

The #5 Jersey Tradition

In a tradition that started in South Alabama's second season, following the death of running back Anthony Mostella, Coach Joey Jones selected a senior that "earned it" would be given Mostella's number 5 jersey for the season. A fan favorite, Mostella was known for his leadership and hard work ethic. Coach Joey Jones wanted to pay respect to Mostella by giving his #5 jersey to a senior each season that displayed the leadership skills and work ethic that Mostella portrayed. This tradition was discontinued from 2018-2020 under Steve Campbell, but Kane Wommack brought the tradition back in 2021 with a slight change.

Student Traditions

An attempt by the students of the university to entice a grassroots movement for support of NCAA football in 2006 led to multiple acts of temporary and non destructive vandalism across the campus organized in a single night dubbed by the organizing students as "viva la resistance". Since the Jaguar football team was established homecoming has featured an event called "junk the jungle", in which toilet paper and streamers are used to cover all the trees in the school's central traffic circle. Other acts committed that night included sidewalk chalk and window painting of various campus buildings and walkways featuring messages such as "NCAA football", "We Want Football", and drawing images of footballs. The school's track field was also spray painted with the letters "NCAA", in large characters.

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