Tuskegee-Albany State football game to return to Phenix City

The Phenix City Council on Tuesday recommitted to the White Water Classic football game between Tuskegee University and Albany State.

The council approved on a 4-1 vote to authorize City Manager Wallace Hunter and Mayor Eddie Lowe to enter into a $125,000 contract with Tuskegee to play its home game in Garrett-Harrison Stadium on Sept. 10. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The city is also considering submitting a bid to host the Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III national championship game that was played in Phenix City (1973-1982 and 1985-1989), Finance Director Steve Smith said.

This will be the third year the Tuskegee-Albany State game has been played in Phenix City and city officials touted it as an economic win for the city. According to a Troy University economic impact study, the game has generated about $800,00 in financial benefit to the city, Smith told council.

“The hotels are full that weekend, and it is a tremendous economic benefit to the city,” Smith said.

The initial White Water Classic in 2014 was a $250,000 economic impact and last year’s game was in excess of $500,000, Smith said.

Last year, Albany State received $100,000 plus expenses to play its home game in Phenix City. Smith said the amount payable to Tuskegee this year was increased by $25,000 and the university will be responsible for its own expenses.

Council member Gail Head voted against the motion and said her reasons were tied to the city charging the Phenix City School System for Central High to play its home games in the city-owned facility.

“I can’t with good conscience give any team $125,000 to play one game here when we charge the Central team to play in that stadium,” Head said.

Hunter defended the position, saying “there was a cost to everything.”

“We do a great deal for the school system,” he said. “This is not a matter of five games being played in that stadium. It is totally different. It is comparing apples to oranges.”

The city charges Central $750 or 5 percent of the gross ticket sales, whichever is greater, for each game played in the stadium and that does not cover the cost of the lights, Smith said.

The city has been approached about submitting a bid to bring the ESPN-televised Stagg Bowl back to Phenix City. It is too early to know if the city will make a play for the game.

“The stadium meets all of the criteria with the exception of the pressbox,” Smith said.

Significant upgrades to the pressbox would be made if a bid were made, Smith said.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Tuskegee-Albany State football game to return to Phenix City."