Dr. Stuart R. Bell, the 29th president of The University of Alabama, has announced his plans to step down from the presidency mid-summer, completing a decade of excellence in leadership.

“It has truly been an honor to serve and represent The University of Alabama as president over the last 10 years,” Bell said in a press release. “I am grateful for the longstanding support of our Board of Trustees and filled with pride and gratitude for all the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Collectively, we have witnessed record-breaking successes and as our University continues its positive trajectory, the moment is right to initiate the completion of my tenure as president.” 

Under Bell’s leadership, Alabama and the SEC were highlighted on the world stage as Crimson Tide student-athletes shined across many sports with three national championships in football, the first Final Four appearance in men’s basketball history and tons of SEC championships. Numerous student-athletes won individual national championships and recorded the highest academic performance rate in school history.

“Stuart Bell has provided a decade of exceptional service to The University of Alabama where his steady leadership has proved valuable in managing the myriad challenges present in modern day higher education,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in the press release. “The lives he touched through his passion for the advancement of the Alabama student experience will be his lasting legacy. He has also been an important leader in the Southeastern Conference during a time of significant change in college sports and I am appreciative of the wise counsel he has provided on the transformative issues that are shaping the future of college athletics.” 

“I could not have asked for a better president than Dr. Bell to work with over the last eight years at Alabama,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “He is an incredible leader and cares deeply about our university and athletics programs. We are grateful for the impact he’s made throughout his tenure and are thankful for the support he and Mrs. Bell have shown to our teams over the years.

No. 19 Alabama women’s basketball vs. No. 2 South Carolina at 6 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum and on SECN+

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January 16, 1995: Jonathan Allen was born in Anniston, Ala.

January 16, 2007: Nick Saban made one of his final additions for his first coaching staff at Alabama, adding the man who would be the position coach for two Heisman Trophy winners, Mark Ingram Jr. and Derrick Henry. Burton Burns was hired from Clemson to be the Crimson Tide’s running backs coach and associate head coach.

“Lee Roy was the best college linebacker, bar none. He would have made every tackle on every play if they had stayed in bounds.”

–– Paul W. “Bear” Bryant on Lee Roy Jordan, who played in Super Bowl VI on this date in 1972, a 24-3 victory for the Cowboys over the Dolphins.

Former South Alabama wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett has accepted his invitation to play in the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Jaguars head coach Major Applewhite made the announcement during an appearance at Wednesday night’s South Alabama basketball game vs. Southern Miss at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars football team was on hand to be recognized for winning the Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery last month.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Pritchett led the Sun Belt Conference in both receptions (91) and yards (1,127) in 2024, while tying for second in the league with nine touchdown receptions. The Jackson native joined the South Alabama team as a walk-on in 2022 after spending his freshman season at Tuskegee.

Pritchett is the 12th South Alabama player to participate in the Senior Bowl. The Jaguars have had at least one player in the Senior Bowl for five straight years, with Pritchett joining quarterback Carter Bradley (2024), cornerback Darrell Luter and wide receiver Jalen Wayne (2023), wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (2022) and linebacker Riley Cole (2021).

The Senior Bowl takes place Feb. 1 at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the South Alabama campus, meaning Pritchett will get one more game at his home stadium. A Jackson native, Pritchett joins Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (Fairhope) and Florida linebacker Shemar James (Faith Academy) as players with southern Alabama ties in this year’s edition of the annual college football all-star game and NFL draft showcase.

Additional Senior Bowl players will be announced periodically as game week approaches. A full list of accepted invitations is available by clicking HERE.

Kickoff for the 2025 Senior Bowl is set for 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 1, with television coverage on NFL Network Tickets are available at seniorbowl.com/tickets.

Players with state of Alabama ties in 2025 Senior Bowl

The Alabama Crimson Tide went into halftime of their game against the Ole Miss Rebels with a four-point lead. Still, head coach Nate Oats was clearly frustrated and shared that he felt like his team was “sleepwalking.”

In the end, Alabama was outscored by Ole Miss 42-28 in the second half and they ended up losing the game by double-digits. More than that, the Crimson Tide lost, after the game, Oats was frustrated with how his team lost the game, calling out their effort in his postgame press conference.

“It’s disgusting, to be honest with you,” Nate Oats said. “With the amount of fifth-year seniors we have and the leadership that should be shown on this team, to have guys come in ready to play, it’s – look, it starts with me, because I’m supposed to be the one motivating these guys, and I obviously didn’t motivate them very well to make sure they’re ready. So, I’m gonna have to look in the mirror and see what I did and didn’t do.”

Alabama outshot Ole Miss from the field, making 42.6 percent of their shots to 38.6 percent. However, the major issue in the game became turnovers, with the Crimson Tide coughing the ball up 21 times compared to just seven Ole Miss turnovers. Only two Crimson Tide players, Mark Sears and Aden Holloway, scored in double-digits.

“I’m gonna have to have a good talk with some of these seniors that are supposed to be on leaders and figure out why we weren’t ready to go tonight because it’s very disappointing. It’s disgusting,” Oats said. “And it’s frustrating.”

The SEC is expected to be highly competitive this season. With the loss, Alabama fell to 3-1 in conference play, putting them in a three-way tie for third place. Auburn and Ole Miss, the only two teams still unbeaten in conference play, are tied for first.

“It’s not like we lost to a bad team. This is a really good team. They’re in first place. Them and Auburn are tied now for first place in the league,” Oats said. “But we didn’t lose because they were just a far superior team tonight. I felt like we lost because they came ready to play, they brought energy, they brought effort, and we did not. That’s a frustrating way to lose.”

Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide will be back in action on Saturday with a difficult road game against Kentucky.