Photo by: Marvin Gentry
Samford Sports Wrap Up: Hal Langston
10.8.21 | Bulldog Club
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-- Today we continue the Samford Sports Wrap Up, Presented by Alabama Power, a series highlighting Samford's coaches and staff throughout the academic year. Today's edition will feature Executive Associate Director of Athletics for Operations Hal Langston.
One of the projects Langston oversees the business side of is the Samford Classic golf tournament and fundraiser. This year's event occurred a couple of weeks ago, raising over $200,000. Langston talked a little about this special event.
"We've hosted it out at Shoal Creek, which to me is one of the reasons it's been so successful, they don't host that many tournaments," Langston said. "We raised over $200,000, $1.4 million over the life of the tournament (seven years). And the money is important, it's important to our athletics department, but I think as important are the relationships that we've made. A lot of the guys that play in the tournament come back each year, our retention rate is over 90 percent on this golf tournament. We've built relationships with a lot of these guys, and these are community leaders, business leaders in the Birmingham area, but also in the region."
The players in the tournament, in addition to a round of golf and fellowship, have the opportunity to receive hole prizes and player gifts.
"We have about $75,000 in hole prizes and player gifts," Langston said. "On the hole prize side, we capped the tournament at 72 golfers, and we have 36 hole prizes, and you can only win one. So, half the field goes home with a hole prize valued at over $1,000. Every player gets over $500 in player gifts, so there's that element of the tournament that makes it attractive. It's been a good event for us."
Langston also oversees the Samford Athletics Hall of Fame induction. The 2020 class was inducted in August. Due to COVID-19 the class was about a year late in being inducted so there will be no 2021 class. But, Langston said, the 2022 class has been selected and will be announced soon.
"Of all the things I get to do here, the Hall of Fame class, I think might be my favorite," Langston said. "Because I get to see what being inducted into our Hall of Fame means to our former players, coaches, contributors. This place means a lot to people, and I get to see that, and I get to know these people. And the selection committee met a couple of weeks ago and the class of 2022 has been selected. We haven't announced it yet or else I would tell you who is in it. We haven't set a date, but that class will be inducted in April or May of next year and hopefully we can just get back on that cycle."
Another ongoing project Langston has overseen has been the renovation of Bobby Bowden Field at Seibert Stadium. Langston talked about the project, which is broken up into three phases.
"You really can go back several years on the planning we've done for the renovation of the football stadium," Langston said. "Phase one was the video board that was added in 2019. And really that plan has taken on different looks and feels, it's been changed based on fiscal responsibility and identifying our true needs.
"Phase two was a complete renovation of the Bashinsky Press Tower," Langston said. "It was built in 1989 and game operations has changed in the last 30-plus years, and it was dated and small, so we reorganized, we moved things around. The south tower up top was not really being used for anything, so we moved a lot of our game operations up there, which allowed us to spread out on the other floors. We renovated our VIP suite, which the president and our athletics director use. So, there was a lot being done, it was about a $2.5 million dollar project. The renovations also included the east gate house over on the east side of the stadium. Bathrooms were renovated over there, and a family restroom was added. So, it was a major project, but long overdue.
"Phase three is really going to address new turf for the field, new turf for the north end zone practice area," Langston said. "We are going to address field-level access for our fans. We'll put a fence around the football field but allow enough room for fans to get down to field level, get behind the benches, which I think will add to our game-day fan experience. And also new seating. We replaced the chairback seats in Phase two, but Phase three will replace our bleachers, and those are dated, those have been there for decades."
Langston talked a little about other facilities projects that are ongoing or upcoming on campus.
"We do have a long-range facility plan that we've identified," Langston said. "We know things are coming. We're currently raising money to put up a new scoreboard and video board for baseball. Our stadium is already one of the best in college baseball but adding this will just enhance that fan experience. Softball will be getting a new scoreboard. New Spalding goals (basketball) went in just a couple of months ago. Those are the same Spalding goal that the NBA uses, it's a long-arm goal, sits a little further away from the floor for player safety. There's other projects in the making, so there's always something going on."
One of the projects Langston oversees the business side of is the Samford Classic golf tournament and fundraiser. This year's event occurred a couple of weeks ago, raising over $200,000. Langston talked a little about this special event.
"We've hosted it out at Shoal Creek, which to me is one of the reasons it's been so successful, they don't host that many tournaments," Langston said. "We raised over $200,000, $1.4 million over the life of the tournament (seven years). And the money is important, it's important to our athletics department, but I think as important are the relationships that we've made. A lot of the guys that play in the tournament come back each year, our retention rate is over 90 percent on this golf tournament. We've built relationships with a lot of these guys, and these are community leaders, business leaders in the Birmingham area, but also in the region."
The players in the tournament, in addition to a round of golf and fellowship, have the opportunity to receive hole prizes and player gifts.
"We have about $75,000 in hole prizes and player gifts," Langston said. "On the hole prize side, we capped the tournament at 72 golfers, and we have 36 hole prizes, and you can only win one. So, half the field goes home with a hole prize valued at over $1,000. Every player gets over $500 in player gifts, so there's that element of the tournament that makes it attractive. It's been a good event for us."
Langston also oversees the Samford Athletics Hall of Fame induction. The 2020 class was inducted in August. Due to COVID-19 the class was about a year late in being inducted so there will be no 2021 class. But, Langston said, the 2022 class has been selected and will be announced soon.
"Of all the things I get to do here, the Hall of Fame class, I think might be my favorite," Langston said. "Because I get to see what being inducted into our Hall of Fame means to our former players, coaches, contributors. This place means a lot to people, and I get to see that, and I get to know these people. And the selection committee met a couple of weeks ago and the class of 2022 has been selected. We haven't announced it yet or else I would tell you who is in it. We haven't set a date, but that class will be inducted in April or May of next year and hopefully we can just get back on that cycle."
Another ongoing project Langston has overseen has been the renovation of Bobby Bowden Field at Seibert Stadium. Langston talked about the project, which is broken up into three phases.
"You really can go back several years on the planning we've done for the renovation of the football stadium," Langston said. "Phase one was the video board that was added in 2019. And really that plan has taken on different looks and feels, it's been changed based on fiscal responsibility and identifying our true needs.
"Phase two was a complete renovation of the Bashinsky Press Tower," Langston said. "It was built in 1989 and game operations has changed in the last 30-plus years, and it was dated and small, so we reorganized, we moved things around. The south tower up top was not really being used for anything, so we moved a lot of our game operations up there, which allowed us to spread out on the other floors. We renovated our VIP suite, which the president and our athletics director use. So, there was a lot being done, it was about a $2.5 million dollar project. The renovations also included the east gate house over on the east side of the stadium. Bathrooms were renovated over there, and a family restroom was added. So, it was a major project, but long overdue.
"Phase three is really going to address new turf for the field, new turf for the north end zone practice area," Langston said. "We are going to address field-level access for our fans. We'll put a fence around the football field but allow enough room for fans to get down to field level, get behind the benches, which I think will add to our game-day fan experience. And also new seating. We replaced the chairback seats in Phase two, but Phase three will replace our bleachers, and those are dated, those have been there for decades."
Langston talked a little about other facilities projects that are ongoing or upcoming on campus.
"We do have a long-range facility plan that we've identified," Langston said. "We know things are coming. We're currently raising money to put up a new scoreboard and video board for baseball. Our stadium is already one of the best in college baseball but adding this will just enhance that fan experience. Softball will be getting a new scoreboard. New Spalding goals (basketball) went in just a couple of months ago. Those are the same Spalding goal that the NBA uses, it's a long-arm goal, sits a little further away from the floor for player safety. There's other projects in the making, so there's always something going on."
Monday, September 07
Friday, September 04
Wednesday, September 02
Monday, August 31
