Tuskegee plays its home opener against Central State on Saturday, and the men running the program are laying the law down early.
In a Facebook post co-signed by head coach Aaron Jones, Tuskegee AD Reginald Ruffin told all Golden Tiger football alumni that there would be no free tickets and/or sideline passes so, in the immortal words of Nick Saban, quit askin'.
NO FREE TICKETS and nope I don’t have any. So, I’m grateful for all them text messages over the past few weeks. Yes, some were heartfelt but most of you played for me and nothing has changed!!! Answer still No Free Tickets!!!
Former Student Athletes-No you don’t get in free or roam on the sidelines because you played here...Most of you don’t even donate a $5 case of water or Powerade or period to YOUR University which you always point out to me. Nope there are no Sideline passes and i understand you like to look good for the cameras because it’s a televised football game!!!! No Sir not happening!!!
Ruffin then tried a couple different tactics to stop the apparent flood of freebie request he and Jones have fielded of late. The first is a legal one:
Nope you can’t come from the tailgate/RV area with cups of alcohol and thinking you coming to the sidelines but you want be coming but you really will be going!!! Yes Sir, you going to JAIL if you do. Yes, I will repeat YOU ARE GOING TO JAIL
And the second was an appeal to safety:
Also please be careful for jumping over the fences or coming through the woods to get in free. FYI, we have killed a few rattlesnakes and I believe plenty are out there. I’m protecting you from trying to get in free by any means necessary!!!!
Ruffin was evidently also fed up with being put on the spot by former players asking him to embellish their careers in order to look good in front of their children:
Stop lying to your children’s about how great you were here. Don’t come here thinking i’m going to lie for you. The Answer is No Sir!!! It’s ok to be the guy who gave his all but wasn’t the guy. Like I’ve always said everyone helped play a part in the success of this program.
The full post can be found here:
facebook.com/reginald.ruffin
It's a somewhat humorous explanation of a serious problem. Tuskegee University is a Division II HBCU in rural Alabama. I don't have the athletics department's situation in front of me, but it's safe to assume Ruffin and the Golden Tigers' administration are not finding wads of 100s in the couch cushions. He became so fed up with former players not wanting to make the same contributions they benefitted from as players that he felt compelled to write this.
While plenty of ADs and coaches undoubtedly cringe at the thought of addressing their own alumni in this way, part of them probably wishes they could.
And for what it's worth, Ruffin's message went over well with his intended audience. He wrote this on Tuesday evening:
Thank you fellas for responding to the message and you know I appreciate your support of the program. I knew yall were having flashbacks of County Fair and them circuits!!! Them were the good old days!!! I’ll see you Saturday night. BTW thanks for reaching out about finishing that degree. That’s what I’m here for. One Love