Currently still in his 60-to-90-day trial period as the new athletic director of Alabama State University, Jason Cable, Ph.D., looks forward to implementing the various improvements and programs in his playbook.

Cable began his tenure as the athletic director on Aug. 15 and leads the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, consisting of 17 sports in Division I and football in Football Championship Series, one level below Division I. Along with the 18 sports that fall underneath Cable’s belt, he also has several athletic departments that report to him, including media and communications, compliance, and academics. 

So far, the Huntsville, Alabama native is learning about the institution and its community and making the necessary adjustments and connections needed to ensure the highest quality experience amongst the ASU family and its student-athletes. 

“Really analyzing the student-athlete experience and enhancing that experience is very important to me,” Cable expressed. “And I think when you do that, it translates on the field of playing in the classroom and in the community.” 

With platinum sponsorships with Adidas and Protective Life Corporation, Cable plans to add on to that list. In association with the Alabama State University Foundation and Institutional Advancement office at the university, Cable works collaboratively with the office to garner sponsors and maintain a healthy relationship with them. According to Cable, the more sponsorships, the more “supplements to our budget and our student-athlete experience.”  

Omitting to mention any names, Cable has a few sponsorships that are in the latter stages. 

“Well, I don’t talk until the ink is dry,” Cable said. “I made some connections upon taking the job, and we’re like in the second or third stage on some of those conversations. So I’m hopeful that they will come to fruition.”

As the Dunn-Oliver Acadome received a brand-new electronic scoreboard for various sporting events, Cable believes that the scoreboard is another avenue to gain sponsorships and broadcast them on the board in terms of in-game experience for the fans. He looks forward to using the board to its fullest potential. 

For the fall 2021 semester, the university has decided to revert back to the in-person experience, including classes, programs, and sporting events. Cable ensures that an atmosphere of compliance is prevalent in his department, including his staffers, student-athletes, and faculty. 

According to Cable, for the spring 2021 semester, ASU has the highest grade-point average (GPA) with 70% of the student-athletes having a 3.0 or better and he wants to continuously improve that statistic.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Cable said. “Before coming here, I served as the Senior Associate Commissioner at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) office, and so seeing ASU with such an astounding number was amazing. But 70%, that’s a strong percentage when you’re talking about the number of student-athletes with a 3.0 or better.” 

Listening to the concerns and comments made by student-athlete leadership and identifying what is important to them and how he can improve those issues, Cable and various others have commenced the plan to resurface the track and field located on the south side of the university.  No exact time or date was given but he assured that the construction will begin soon. 

Winning championships is a big priority for Cable and is one of the reasons Cable came to the Hornet Nation. When asked how many championships he would like to win, he simply responded, “all of them.” 

“Winning championships is dynamic,” Cable said. “That’s why this job and coming to Alabama State University was just sought after for me because when you look at 43 championships in a short period of time, it’s a lot that has to happen to win a championship. So, we’re the winningest program in the conference, and we look to continue that tradition moving forward.” 

Before his tenure at ASU, Cable provided various leadership qualities and motives as the Senior Associate Commissioner for Administration at the SWAC for nearly three years. He was hands-on regarding the security and management of several corporate sponsorships like NASCAR, Alabama Power, and Toyota. 

Along with sponsorships, Cable oversaw academic and NCCA programming and services while assisting each conference governance group. Cable has a comprehensive understanding of athleticism, academics, compliance, and athletic programming in relation to his numerous positions at different institutions and universities, including Alcorn State University and Jackson State University. He received his doctorate from Jackson State University in 2019 in Higher Education Administration.

Leaving a lasting impression of Hornet pride and spirit is essential to Cable as he embarks on his journey as the athletic director.  He wants the student-athlete population to embrace athletics wholeheartedly. 

“The spirit of a Hornet is never to relent, never to concede,” Cable said. “That’s what we want to portray as an athletic department, and we definitely want to stay connected to the student-athlete student population. We need you to continue winning and continue to grow and be successful.”