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The Southern States Athletic Conference Renews Partnership with the City of Montgomery

Jun 18, 2015
The Southern States Athletic Conference Renews Partnership with the City of Montgomery

By Sam Knehans, Assistant Commissioner of the Southern States Athletic Conference

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) announced Friday that it has renewed its partnership with the City of Montgomery, in conjunction with the Central Alabama Sports Commission and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau. The three-year extension solidifies the Capital of Dreams as the SSAC headquarters and conference hub through the 2017-18 academic year. 

The SSAC, a 13-school National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) conference, sponsors 15 neutral-site conference championship events—nine of which will be contested in Montgomery in 2015-16.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with the City of Montgomery and look forward to strengthening our ties within the River Region," said Mike Hall, SSAC Commissioner. "The City of Montgomery has been a flagship partner of the SSAC since becoming the conference home in 2013 and has collaborated with us to create first-class championship experiences for our student-athletes."

Known for its rich history and cultural tradition, the City of Montgomery has recently been the recipient of several national awards including being voted the Best Historic City by USA Today and being named an All-America City by the National Civic League.

Through the work of Mayor Todd Strange and Central Alabama Sports Commission Executive Director Dr. Ken Blankenship, the City of Montgomery has also earned the title of Sports Capital of the South due to the multitude of collegiate and professional sporting events that have been drawn to the city—including the majority of the SSAC Championships.

"We are pleased that the Southern States Athletic Conference has the confidence in the City of Montgomery to renew this relationship," said Todd Strange, Mayor of Montgomery. "It is with great enthusiasm that we look forward to working with Commissioner Hall and the conference schools to make these championships memorable events for the student-athletes, schools and fans."         

These sentiments were echoed by Montgomery Director of Leisure Services Scott Miller, who said, "We are very pleased to renew our partnership with the Southern States Athletic Conference. This partnership has been beneficial to both the City of Montgomery and the conference. We look forward to continuing and improving that relationship."

As part of the corporate partnership, the City of Montgomery will host the SSAC men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, baseball and softball championships during the 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 athletic seasons.

"The Central Alabama Sports Commission is delighted to announce that the Southern States Athletic Conference has agreed to bring their championship events to Montgomery for the next three years," said Dr. Ken Blankenship, Central Alabama Sports Commissioner Executive Director. "It is great to continue the excellent relationship that we have developed with this outstanding athletic conference. Thirteen institutions of higher education will bring thousands of athletes and visitors to our city over the next three years and we look forward to welcoming members of these institutions and their fans to Montgomery."

The SSAC championship events will be held at various sites throughout the River Region including the Emory Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex, Cramton Bowl Multiplex, Montgomery Country Club, Paterson Field and Dean Fain Park.

The City of Montgomery will also host several of the conference's special events on an annual basis including the SSAC Baseball Showcase, SSAC Winter Athletic Directors Meeting, SSAC Cheerleading Exhibition and the SSAC Annual Meetings—the conference's yearly assembly of presidents, athletic directors, sports information directors and athletic department staff.

The SSAC is a NAIA conference, founded in 1999, with 13 member institutions across Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The Montgomery, Ala.-based conference sponsors 15 intercollegiate sports, culminating in 15 conference championship events held annually throughout the Southeastern region of the United States.