TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WHNT) — Former Director of Athletics and student-athlete at the University of Alabama has passed away, according to the university.
William “Bill” Raines Battle III was the former director of athletics at Alabama, a former student-athlete at the university, a collegiate football coach and founder of Collegiate Licensing Company.
According to the University of Alabama Athletics on Thursday, Battle passed away at the age of 82.
(Photo: University of Alabama Athletics)
Battle attended the University of Alabama on a football scholarship and was a three-year starter from 1960 to 1962. Battle played under the legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Advertisement
In 1961, Battle was part of Coach Bryant’s first national championship team and was named UA’s All-Decade Team for the 1960s as a first-team tight end and second-team defensive end.
The university said Battle earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and minored in psychology in 1963 and earned his master’s degree in education at the University of Oklahoma in 1964.
Battle didn’t just earn his degrees, but he served as a graduate assistant at OU under Bud Wilkinson. He was an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy while also serving a two-year military tour in 1964-65.
Following his service, Battle transitioned to be an assistant coach for four years at the University of Tennessee starting in 1966. Battle was named head coach at Tennessee in 1970 and during his seven-year tenure, his teams went 59-22-2 and won four out of five bowl games.
Battle founded the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) in 1981 and served as president and CEO until 2002.
Advertisement
The athletic department said in 2013, Battle made his return to Tuscaloosa where he was the athletic director for four years where he oversaw several winning titles.
“During his [Battle’s] tenure, Alabama produced three NCAA team national championships, 10 SEC team championships in five different sports,15 NCAA individual champions, 43 Academic All-Americans, including six Academic All-Americans of the Year and 16 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship awardees,” the university said.
Once he finished his time as athletic director, Battle continued his time at UA as special assistant to the University of Alabama president where he helped Dr. Stuart R. Bell with initiatives to benefit the athletic department.
His accolades include;
Battle is a member of several halls of fame including the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1981)
The National Collegiate Licensing Association Hall of Fame (2000)
The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association Hall of Fame (2008)
The National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Hall of Fame (2010)
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (2011)
The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame (2016)
The Alabama Business Hall of Fame (2017)
In addition to this, Battle was awarded by the National Football Foundation, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the 2005 Paul W. Bryant Alumni Athlete Award.
Several big names from the university as well as the SEC Commissioner, former head coach Nick Saban and son of Paul “Bear” Bryant provided quotes about Battle.
Advertisement
“Bill Battle’s legacy at The University of Alabama is profound and enduring. His generosity and visionary leadership elevated our institution and enriched the lives of countless students and colleagues. His dedication to excellence and steadfast devotion to UA will inspire generations to come. We are forever grateful for his friendship and his lasting impact on our community.”
Stuart R. Bell, UA President
“Coach Battle was a great player and top prospect in the South when he came to Alabama at a time when the program was down. He started for Papa for three years including a national championship. He created the licensing industry that The University and schools nationwide still benefit from today. He was a major donor to The University. When we needed him again, he left retirement to help us as Athletic Director.”
Paul Bryant Jr., Lifelong friend of Coach Battle and son of Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant
“It’s difficult to put into words just how much Coach Battle means to The University of Alabama and college athletics, as a whole. He excelled in so many areas and was a true visionary. Beyond his accomplishments, he was an incredible man, and I am forever grateful for the friendship we built over the years. We will miss him tremendously and are praying for Mary, Pat, Mike, Shannon, Kayla and the entire Battle family.”
Greg Byrne, Alabama Director of Athletics
“Bill Battle was first class in every way. He represented The University of Alabama with tremendous character and integrity. He was an outstanding football player at Alabama, a successful collegiate head coach and visionary who revolutionized the business of college athletics. I got to know him best when he returned to direct the Alabama athletics department where his vision and leadership were driving factors in the Crimson Tide’s success that resulted in our 2015 national championship. Terry and I are saddened by his passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Mary and their entire family. He will be deeply missed.”
Nick Saban, Former Alabama head football coach
“I am grateful for the privilege to have known and worked with Bill Battle. Bill was an innovative leader who had a distinguished career as a coach, businessman, and athletics director, who loved his family and was committed to the special opportunities presented through intercollegiate athletics. In the SEC, we share in the sorrow of Bill’s passing but are thankful for his impact and friendship.”
Alcorn State Braves (0-7) at South Alabama Jaguars (4-3)
Mobile, Alabama; Friday, 11 a.m. EST
Advertisement
BOTTOM LINE: Alcorn State travels to South Alabama looking to stop its seven-game road losing streak.
The Jaguars are 3-2 in home games. South Alabama is the top team in the Sun Belt with 15.3 assists per game led by Myles Corey averaging 5.0.
The Braves have gone 0-7 away from home. Alcorn State is 0-7 against opponents with a winning record.
South Alabama is shooting 44.6% from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points lower than the 45.4% Alcorn State allows to opponents. Alcorn State’s 33.6% shooting percentage from the field this season is 5.7 percentage points lower than South Alabama has given up to its opponents (39.3%).
TOP PERFORMERS: Corey is scoring 18.4 points per game with 2.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Jaguars.
Advertisement
Omari Hamilton is averaging 8.6 points for the Braves.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Alabama A&M University is now saying Medrick Burnett Jr., a redshirt freshman linebacker, has not died after releasing a statement earlier Wednesday saying otherwise.
The athletic department retracted its statement on Burnett, the 20-year-old injured in a game against Alabama State earlier this season.
This revised statement said the initial news from Burnett’s death came “from an immediate family member on Tuesday evening.” It ended up being false.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Advertisement
A Mississippi State Bulldogs football during a game between Mississippi State and the Missouri Tigers Nov. 23, 2024, at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate occurrence,” the second statement said. “Upon hearing from a representative from UAB Hospital this afternoon, we learned that he remains alive.
“We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information. However, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition.”
FOX NEWS DIGITAL SPORTS’ COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINNERS AND LOSER: WEEK 13
Burnett’s GoFundMe page, which was set up by his older sister, Dominece James, issued its own statement Wednesday.
Advertisement
“Please pray he is having a tough time but we are holding on til the very end. God give us strength so we can keep the faith,” the statement said.
The GoFundMe explained earlier that Burnett was dealing with brain bleeds and swelling from head injuries sustained in a game in late October.
A goalpost before a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the North Carolina Tar Heels Nov. 4, 2006, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
“He had to have a tube to drain to relieve the pressure, and after 2 days of severe pressure, we had to opt for a craniotomy, which was the last resort to help try to save his life,” James said on the GoFundMe page.
An end zone corner pylon before the Gasparilla Bowl between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the UCF Knights at Raymond James Stadium.(Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Burnett played in five games for Alabama A&M this season, registering five total tackles.
Advertisement
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
Thanksgiving weekend is here, and we have somehow already reached the conclusion of the college football regular season.
It seems like just a few weeks ago we were counting down the days to the start of the season. I vividly remember anxiously awaiting Week 0 and all the great matchups on Labor Day weekend the following Saturday.
The regular season is ending with a bang, with stunning upsets shaking up the College Football Playoff outlook last Saturday. Ole Miss and Alabama were picked off as big road favorites and both teams now sit with three losses.
Indiana suffered its first loss of the season at Ohio State. But unless the Hoosiers lose again this week to Purdue as 30-point favorites, they will finish the season with just one loss — a very forgivable one at that. With that in mind, Indiana is safely in, assuming it gets a win on Saturday.
As far as the rest of the field, Oregon and Ohio State are surely in and Penn State and Texas are very likely in as well. But what else do we really know about the field of 12 as we enter the final weekend?
Advertisement
Georgia looked like it just needed to beat Georgia Tech in the season finale, as that would have ended the Dawgs’ season with two losses, assuring them a spot in the Playoffs. But with all the upsets, Georgia will now play in an SEC Championship Game and could net a third loss.
Here’s something else to consider. Can the winner of this weekend’s South Carolina-Clemson game now get in? Does the ACC get two teams in?
What makes the next two weeks so much fun is that we have way more questions than answers.
So, as we settle in with football on the screen and leftovers in the fridge, is there a bet to be made on the national champion?
Warning: Some fans will dislike even the thought of this possibility.
Advertisement
Alabama +4000 National Champion
Are you 100 percent sure the loss to Oklahoma last week eliminated the Crimson Tide? I’m certainly not, and neither are the oddsmakers.
Alabama is an underdog to make the College Football Playoff, but at +180 odds, it’s certainly not priced as something that’s completely impossible.
Again, I have more questions than answers.
Alabama & Ole Miss: Will both miss the Playoff after suffering a third loss?
For example, what if Tennessee and/or Notre Dame lose this weekend? Or what if the final spot comes down to a two-loss SMU team and a three-loss Alabama team? Which would the committee choose?
The brand name of Alabama, the Tide’s win over potential SEC champ Georgia, and the possibility of an upset-filled weekend makes it hard for me to completely write off Alabama — even if I don’t necessarily agree that it belongs in the Playoff with three losses.
Advertisement
Yes, Alabama is unlikely to get in, but as we saw last weekend, upsets happen in this sport, and what’s unlikely one day can change quickly to reality.
If the Tide do get in — despite their flaws — they could make a run in what is a wide-open year in college football. And at 40-1 odds, that’s a bet I couldn’t argue against making.
Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Advertisement
Get more from College FootballFollow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25739950/247386_Elon_Musk_Open_AI_CVirginia.jpg "Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI")
