Council Debates $75,000 For Gulf Coast Classic

6:32 p.m.
- Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson, Clinton Johnson and William Carroll each want to give $25,000 from their discretionary funds to support the Gulf Coast Classic.
- Councilman Reggie Copeland is opposed to the idea. "It's absolutely absurd ... Where's that money going? I wanna see some checks. I wanna see some balances. Accountability is what it's all about."
- Organizers say last month's game between Alabama State and Southern University attracted more than 25,000 people. Copeland says fewer than 11,000 actually walked through the gates of Ladd Peebles Stadium.
- Councilmen Richardson, Johnson and Carroll told News 5 they'll wait for the results of an economic impact study before throwing in the money.

11:25 a.m.
The Mobile City Council is discussing whether to approve $75,000 in funding for next year's Gulf Coast Classic.

Back in October, the Council approved $250,000 for the 2008 Classic, but not before a heated debate that included accusations of racism.

"You think that the minority community cannot produce the numbers to produce the economic effect that is needed to make this work unlike the GMAC Bowl," Councilman William Carroll said during the meeting on October 7th. "You have said it yourself in plain black and white."

Click play to listen to some of that heated debate

Councilman Fred Richardson promised the money would help the game between Alabama State and Southern University at Ladd Peebles Stadium sell out. There were 9,000 more people in the stands than the year before, but the attendance was still about 15,000 shy of a sell out.

Will there be more chaos at today's council meeting? News 5's Tiffany Craig is there and will have the story tonight on News 5 at 6:00.