With major games gone, Birmingham mayor tries salvaging what's left with SWAC

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Birmingham Mayor William Bell will meet with officials from the Southwestern Athletic Conference in a late attempt to salvage Birmingham's relationship with the group.

The meeting next week comes after SWAC announced it is taking both its football and baseball championships to Houston.

In response, several Birmingham City Council members are calling to sever financial ties to the organization in the 2014 budget.

The city last year spent $500,000 on SWAC and is set to increase the amount to $550,000 under Bell's proposed 2014 budget. Now, the council is set to hack that funding after SWAC announced plans to move its major events away from Birmingham.

Terry Burney, Bell's chief administrative analyst, said the Bell is scheduling a meeting with SWAC commissioner Duer Sharp to discuss Birmingham's relationship with the college league and the possibility of bringing other SWAC events here.

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