MOBILE, Ala. — The University of South Alabama will cancel afternoon classes, close offices at noon and give up several campus roads to the U.S. Secret Service as the Trump rally road closures and security plans take shape ahead of President Donald Trump’s Friday night appearance at the Mitchell Center. City leaders, meanwhile, say Mobile taxpayers will cover the cost of the police response.
The president is scheduled to hold a midterm election rally at the Mitchell Center beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2. The event lands in the middle of South Alabama’s homecoming week, on a day forecasters expect heavy rain, and on a campus already crowded with students, alumni and families in town for the weekend.
At a glance: What changes on campus
- Classes: In-person classes that begin at noon or later Friday will not be held.
- Offices: University offices close at noon Friday. Some employees will be designated essential personnel.
- Closed all day Friday: The Mitchell Center, the Health, Kinesiology and Sport Building, and the Academic Services Center.
- Road closures begin Thursday night: Portions of USA South Drive and all of Student Services Drive and Mitchell Center Drive, starting after Thursday’s Jaguars volleyball match.
- Possible Old Shell Road closures Friday: Portions of Old Shell Road could close in both directions at the Secret Service’s discretion.
- Homecoming shifts: The Friday pep rally moves to Saturday, and Thursday’s Wall of Honor ceremony moves to Nov. 13.
Classes canceled, offices closing at noon
The university said in-person classes starting at noon or later Friday will not meet. Three buildings, the Mitchell Center, the Health, Kinesiology and Sport Building and the Academic Services Center, will stay closed for the entire day, and buildings inside the perimeter of Student Services Drive, USA South Drive, Mitchell Center Drive and Old Shell Road close starting late Thursday night. Academic leaders are expected to contact faculty and students directly about how Friday morning classes normally held in those buildings will be handled.
University offices will close at noon Friday. Certain employees will be designated as essential personnel and are expected to keep working, and the school told staff to direct questions about their schedules to their supervisors. Hourly employees who are sent home at noon will receive paid administrative leave for the rest of their scheduled hours.
Students reacting to the announcement described a mix of excitement and worry. Student Emily Rushing said all of her classes were canceled and that one might move online. “It’s just going to be chaotic. A little bit. But it’s pretty cool that the president’s coming,” she said.
Others said the notice came abruptly. “I think it’s just, like, very random out of the blue,” student Londynn Willis said. “They didn’t really warn us. They just like, just put it out there. As far as, like, classes and, like, traffic being impacted. Our campus is already very big and filled with students.”
Road closures start Thursday evening
According to the university, the Secret Service will begin closing roads around the Mitchell Center on Thursday evening, after the South Alabama volleyball match. The closures include portions of USA South Drive, all of Student Services Drive and all of Mitchell Center Drive.
On Friday, portions of Old Shell Road, one of the main east-west routes through west Mobile and the road that carries the Mitchell Center’s address, may be closed in both directions. The university stressed that the decision is entirely up to the Secret Service and said it will share traffic updates as they become available.
People who are not going to the rally are encouraged to stay away from the area around the arena if they can and to expect heavy traffic, possible road restrictions and more pedestrians than usual.
Student Miguel Navas said he expects getting around to be difficult. “I feel like it will make traffic somewhat difficult to get around, considering it’s the president of all people is going to be coming here,” he said. “There’s no denying security is going to be like tight. Like really tight. But I don’t know. There’s all like alternative roads you can take.”
Some Old Shell Road businesses near campus have already planned around the visit, as noted in our coverage of the rally announcement.
What rallygoers can and cannot bring
The Secret Service, which leads security for presidential events, has told attendees to expect airport-style screening at the entrance and to arrive early. In a statement to local media, a Secret Service spokesperson encouraged ticketed guests to follow posted signs and directions from law enforcement and event staff, and to watch the organizer’s and venue’s official channels for updates on entry times, parking, traffic, ticketing and permitted items.
The agency’s prohibited items list includes weapons of any kind, toy guns, aerosols, mace or pepper spray, coolers, glass or metal containers, balloons, bicycles, selfie sticks, laser pointers, drones, sign supports and structures, and bags larger than 18 by 13 by 7 inches. Several electronic gadgets, including Raspberry Pi-enabled devices, Flipper Zero devices and Pineapple Wi-Fi routers, are also banned, as are animals other than service or guide animals.
The rally is free but ticketed, with tickets reserved in advance through the organizers. It is not a university event: the Republican National Committee rented the Mitchell Center, and the school said it has no role in entry procedures or seating.
Sheriff: Threats will be investigated, peaceful protest protected
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said his office is working with federal, state and local agencies to prepare for the visit and that any presidential trip is treated with the utmost seriousness. Agencies held a planning briefing Monday morning, and Burch said he expected more meetings before Friday.
Burch said officials anticipate a large crowd that will include both Trump supporters and protesters. His office is monitoring social media and other online activity for threats.
“People have every right to express their opinions, whether they support the president, oppose him or simply want to peacefully protest,” Burch said. “What we will take seriously are statements that cross the line into threats of violence or indicate that someone intends to harm another person. Those comments will be investigated and, when appropriate, forwarded to our federal partners.”
The sheriff said public safety, not politics, is his top priority. “I hope that they will be peaceful protests because it’s the people’s right to protest,” Burch said. “I just hope they will be peaceful, not be disruptive, and let this be a successful event for those who want to attend it.”
Anyone with information about a possible threat should contact law enforcement. Burch said people who notice suspicious activity at the rally should not approach anyone and should alert authorities right away.
Local groups have said they plan to demonstrate. The Secret Service spokesperson said the agency makes “no distinction on the purpose, message, or intent of any particular group” and that it and its law enforcement partners are prepared to manage demonstrations so participants can exercise their First Amendment rights safely. The spokesperson added that some traffic disruptions and congestion should be expected near the venue before and through the end of the event.
The university’s letter struck a similar tone. “While high-profile visits naturally invite diverse public perspectives, ensuring a safe, respectful and welcoming environment remains the University’s highest priority,” it said. “Threats, violence, property damage, or other unlawful conduct will be handled in accordance with University policy and applicable laws.”
Who pays: The city will absorb the cost
For the City of Mobile, the visit means pulling police officers and other resources to manage traffic and security, and the bill will come out of the city’s own budget.
James Barber, the city’s chief of operations, said Mobile’s job is to help move the president safely. “We’re responsible for making sure he gets in and out of the city of Mobile,” he said.
Barber said the cost will be significant but could not yet be estimated. “There’s obviously going to be quite a bit of cost to divert a lot of resources to the visit, but we really don’t have any estimates on what that cost is because we don’t really know the full itinerary of the president’s visit,” he said.
The city will not be reimbursed for the added public safety expenses, Barber said, and does not plan to ask for reimbursement. He described protecting large gatherings and VIP visits as a routine part of public safety. A Mobile Police Department spokesperson said the department will use both on- and off-duty officers and that any overtime will be paid by the city as regular overtime.
The Mobile County Commission may take a different approach for the sheriff’s office. A county spokesperson told local media the commission “may explore reimbursement” if the visit qualifies, a step that would require the sheriff’s office to track its costs and would need a formal vote.
Mobile has picked up the tab for a Trump event before. City records from the August 2015 rally at Ladd-Peebles Stadium showed about $16,700 in city expenses, mostly for police overtime and buses that shuttled attendees from satellite parking. The campaign paid to rent the stadium, and the city did not seek reimbursement.
‘An unbelievable opportunity,’ councilman says
City Councilman Ben Reynolds, who represents District 4, said a presidential visit is rare for Mobile. “Unbelievable opportunity for our city. I mean, I don’t know how many times the president of the United States has come to the city of Mobile and it’s a big deal,” Reynolds said.
He urged residents to set politics aside. “I hope we all welcome the president of the United States with open arms. Put your politics aside. He is the commander in chief of our country,” Reynolds said.
Burch said he hopes out-of-town visitors give local businesses a lift. “I’m sure a number of people coming in from out of town, hopefully stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants and give the local economy a little shot in the arm for the weekend,” he said.
Officials expect many attendees to come from surrounding states, and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce said it is “always glad to see the national spotlight on Mobile.”
“A presidential visit is a chance for people across the country to see what we already know: Mobile is a growing, dynamic place to live, work and do business,” the chamber said. “Mobile has a strong story to tell, from our port and aerospace industry to our workforce and small business community, and a visit like this puts that story in front of a much larger audience.”
Homecoming events reshuffled
The rally and the rain forecast have also forced changes to South Alabama’s homecoming schedule. In its letter, the university said it believed the rally and a pep rally on the Intramural Fields could have gone on at the same time Friday, but that the expected rain “adds a further complication.”
“Presidential visits are logistically complex, but our University is committed to minimizing disruption and ensuring Homecoming is a memorable experience for our students, alumni and visitors,” the letter said. “The University welcomes the President of the United States and all our visitors this weekend.”
- Pep rally: Moved from Friday to Saturday, Oct. 3, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the SGA Pavilion south of Hancock Whitney Stadium, ahead of the Jaguars’ 6 p.m. homecoming game against Louisiana-Monroe.
- Wall of Honor ceremony: The outdoor ceremony planned for Thursday night moves to Friday, Nov. 13, the weekend of South Alabama’s home game against Troy.
- Family Weekend reception: Still on for Friday but moved from the MacQueen Alumni Center to the Country Club of Mobile, 4101 Wimbledon Drive West. Doors open at 4 p.m., with the program from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- Glass Pumpkin Patch: The festival of glass works by students and faculty will open 30 minutes early, at 7:30 a.m., and close at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Marx Library.
- Theatre: A USA Theatre performance of “A Year with Frog and Toad,” which students said was to be the final show of the run, was canceled because of the road closures.
Saturday’s football game will go on as scheduled. For more on the matchup, see our preview of South Alabama vs. ULM.
Rain adds another complication
Forecasts call for an 85% to 95% chance of rain Friday and Saturday, with several inches of rain possible. Localized flooding is possible, so anyone driving to campus should allow extra time, slow down on wet roads and never drive through flooded streets.
The Mitchell Center holds roughly 10,000 people, about a third of the crowd that filled Ladd-Peebles Stadium for Trump’s first Mobile rally in 2015. For background on the rally, the candidates expected to appear and reaction from both parties, see our earlier report.