Southern University drums up support for annual Jag-A-Thon campaign

BATON ROUGE-A team of Southern University officials, community leaders, and volunteers are preparing for the school’s annual athletic fund-raiser. Jag-A-Thon, a major effort that solicits dollars to support various athletic and academic support programs for student athletes, is slated for Saturday, April 26 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The fund-raising special will broadcast live on Cox Cable Channel 38.
Revenues generated by the Jag-A-Thon campaign are a substantial component of the athletic budget and provide assistance to more than 350 student athletes. Southern University Athletic Director Floyd Kerr says the fund-raiser is extremely important to Jaguar athletics because the department is self-supporting.
“Unlike athletic programs at most colleges and universities, our department receives no direct funding from the state,” Kerr said. “It is absolutely necessary to have revenue-building projects to ensure that our student athletes are given the opportunity to succeed in the classroom as well as in competition.”
Southern University offers 18 intercollegiate athletic programs, 8 for men and 10 for women. The program is fully certified by the NCAA and has met gender-equity requirements for Title IX through the U.S. Office of Civil Rights.
Men’s programs offered are baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and tennis. Women’s sports are basketball, bowling, cross-country, softball, swimming, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis, and volleyball. A new female sport, soccer, has just been added.
Southern University has taken an aggressive approach in improving graduation rates, gender equity, and academic enhancement in the athletic program and has restored several athletic facilities, emphasizing its commitment to excellence.
Southern University Board Chair Sam Gilliam, System President Leon Tarver, and Chancellor Edward Jackson have all voiced their support of the Jag-A-Thon and encourage contributions to improve the academic success of student athletes.
Touch Family Broadcasting will produce the 3-hour television special set to air on April 26.
The Southern University Athletic Department is also hosting its annual All Sports Recognition Dinner at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 27 at the Marriott Hotel.
For more information or to make a commitment, call (225) 771-2712 or 1-800-471-7007.