To Jamb, or Not to Jamb? Monroe, LA -- One of the area’s most popular showcases for high school football could be making a return to the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Brian Wickstrom heard all about the days of Bayou Jamb when he was hired as the athletic director at ULM in the summer of 2013, and he’s hoping to bring the annual prep jamborees back to Malone Stadium. ULM is exploring the possibilities of putting the showcase back on the field which was prefviously an eight-team, four-game event. The event would return this August in compliance with the NCAA rule that canceled the event in 2013. “When I took the job here everyone talked about it and what a great event it was,” Wickstrom said. “After it was canceled, I heard (the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) hosted an event like this and I found out it wasn’t them hosting it, it was the high schools. So I began to make some calls and get some feedback.” NCAA rule 13.11.1.10 prohibits a member institution from hosting a non-scholastic football practice or competition on its campus. While a school cannot be the host, a high school or group of high schools can file the necessary paperwork and fees with the LHSAA, which allows the jamborees to take place on a college campus. This distinction allowed Cajun Field at UL Lafayette to remain the site for the Kiwanis Club Jamboree. The cost to host a jamboree is a non-refundable sanctioning fee of $200. ULM is targeting August 30 as a possible date for Bayou Jamb — two days after the Warhawks’ Thursday home opener with Wake Forest. Wickstrom said that while the organization of the jamborees would fall upon northeast Louisiana’s high schools, he would do everything within the rules to help facilitate its return. “It’s a great event that brings in thousands of visitors and I’d love to have it on our campus,” Wickstrom said. If Bayou Jamb is to make its return, it won’t be without logistical issues in the realm of scheduling and sponsorship. Most teams in the area moved on and scheduled their own home-and-home jamborees with opponents following Bayou Jamb’s cancellation, including West Monroe and Neville — the Jamb’s longtime headliners. West Monroe coach Jerry Arledge said he wasn’t opposed to playing the Rebels’ jamboree matchup with Neville at Malone Stadium this August on certain conditions. “I probably would be interested but one of the biggest factors for me is if it’s on a Friday night and not Saturday,” Arledge said. “Playing on Saturday puts us in a bind preparation wise for our opener, but if it’s on Friday, I’d be for it.” The LHSAA traditionally begins its season the Friday night after the jamborees. Ouachita coach Jeff Fitzgerald said it would be a “tough push” for Bayou Jamb to come back this year but he’d love to see it in 2015. “With it being basically June, you’re looking at June and July to put it together. Not saying it couldn’t be done but it would take a lot of people working hard at it,” said Fitzgerald, whose Ouachita Lions host Bastrop in their 2014 jamboree. “At this point and time right now, we’re all trying to develop our teams and get ready for our home football games so I don’t know. Selfishly as a ULM alum, I think it’s good for the campus because it brings in so many kids and their families.” Bayou Jamb would also be in the market for a new sponsor. Ron Hogan, vice president and regional chief financial officer of St. Francis Medical Center, said the hospital would not return as the title sponsor of the event. “If a sponsor is secured, we would be happy to assist them with the logistics that come with running an event of this caliber but unfortunately sponsorship is just not something that’s feasible for us to pursue at this time,” Hogan said. St. Francis Medical Center has been the sponsor of Bayou Jamb since its inception in 2006. Wickstrom said Capital One Bank has expressed interest in becoming the new Bayou Jamb sponsor and that this provided ULM’s sponsors with an opportunity to support high school football. The university; however, will not solicit sponsorships. In the past, the Bayou Jamb sponsor was responsible for paying the fees to use Malone Stadium and the officials and security. There were no operating costs to the schools and they each received part of the gate proceeds from their scheduled game and the money generated by their ticket sales. In the current home-and-home arrangement, only the hosting school receives the gate proceeds. Ouachita principal Todd Guice called Bayou Jamb “a win-win” for everyone involved. “Bayou Jam was great for the whole community and everyone enjoyed it,” Guice said. “This late in the game, it would be something the coaches would have to sit down and agree to and that’s easier said than done at this point in the year.”
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 20:56:16 +0000
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