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                                                                  EXHIBIT (31)-1

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

         I, James A. Taylor, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of The Banc
Corporation;

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements and other
financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

         4.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and
have:

         (a)      Designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure
that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
subsidiaries; is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared;

         (b)      Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the
period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

         (c)      Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case
of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting;
and

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
functions):

         (a)      All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information; and

         (b)      Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
controls.

Date March 15, 2004              By            /s/ James A. Taylor
                                    ------------------------------------------
                                                 James A. Taylor
                                      Chairman and Chief Executive Officer



         A signed original of this written statement required by Section 302 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has been provided to The Banc Corporation and
will be retained by The Banc Corporation and furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.


<PAGE>



         I, David R. Carter, certify that:



         1.       I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of The Banc
Corporation;

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements and other
financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

         4.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and
have:

         (a)      Designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure
that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
subsidiaries; is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared;

         (b)      Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the
period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

         (c)      Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's
most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case
of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting;
and

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
functions):

         (a)      All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information; and

         (b)      Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
controls.

Date March 15, 2004                  By          /s/ David R. Carter
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                                   David R. Carter
                                            Executive Vice President and
                                               Chief Financial Officer

         A signed original of this written statement required by Section 302 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has been provided to The Banc Corporation and
will be retained by The Banc Corporation and furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.