Tommy Bell Monthly Newsletter — December Edition
12/30/2017 | 2:27:00 | General
Greetings, Saluki Nation!
I hope you are enjoying the holidays with friends and family. I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our fans for your support of Saluki Athletics. We don't take for granted your investment of time and treasure. Whether you are a donor to the Saluki Athletic Scholarship Fund, a season-ticket holder, an alum, or just a casual fan, we value each and every supporter.
The world of collegiate athletics will experience major changes under the new tax law passed by Congress. Under current laws, up to 80 percent of seat-related donations are considered a charitable contribution. Beginning in 2018, these donations will no longer be tax-deductible. We are currently assessing the impact on Saluki Athletics and evaluating plans for future years. While the tax law has changed, what has not changed is the impact your investment makes in the lives of Saluki student-athletes. The continued support of SASF donors provides the resources needed for us to succeed at the highest level.
We have a host of special activities and discounted tickets for men's basketball in the coming weeks and I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities. Including tomorrow's New Year's Eve game versus Drake, the next three home games will offer $10 general admission tickets for fans to help fill the Dawg Pound while students are on break. Tomorrow's game will also feature a pregame performance in the arena lobby from 1:30-2:30 by local blues legend Tawl Paul.
On Jan. 3 versus Evansville, we'll host FFA (Future Farmers of America) night. FFA Members can take advantage our special group ticket rates. Also, the always popular K9 Crew frisbee dogs will perform at halftime. Then on Jan. 13 versus Illinois State, we're having our Faith & Family night. Local FCA chapters and area church groups can purchase discounted tickets. Any kids who participated in one of our 2017 summer men's basketball camps will get in free. Finally, the first 500 fans will receive a #GoSalukis rollabana courtesy of State Farm.
I'm pleased to announce that our annual Coats for Kids drive was a huge success. Saluki Athletics teamed up with Carbondale Police to collect coats during six Saluki basketball games and your generosity provided a new winter coat for more than 100 area children.
We've made a change to the timing of our annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Instead of having the induction in early February, we've moved it back to the fall on Homecoming weekend. Hall of Fame was traditionally a fall event at Southern from 1978 through 2000, when previous athletic director Paul Kowalczyk moved it to basketball season. I believe the Hall of Fame is a natural fit with Homecoming. Each year since I've been at SIU, we've made a bigger push to encourage former Salukis to return for Homecoming. Having the opportunity to celebrate a Hall of Fame induction with a former teammate makes the event even more special. Inductees will get a chance to ride in the Homecoming parade, be introduced during the game, and enjoy a festive weekend with their families.
Just a reminder that you are welcome to submit nominations for the Saluki Hall of Fame online. We have an eight-person selection committee that reviews the data each year and identifies our inductees. We'll be meeting early this summer to make our picks for 2018.
Judith wrote in with an Ask the AD question about why the shot clock was reset to 20 seconds instead of 30 after a non-shooting foul at a recent basketball game she attended? You have a sharp eye for detail! It's a new NCAA rule designed to increase the number of team possessions and improve the flow of the game. The same 20-second rule applies if a team misses a shot, gets the offensive rebound and is fouled.
With Saluki Pride,
