UAB Eliminates Football Program

[obc]

UAB Eliminates Football Program

[Yotes]

I've been to their stadium, it was definitely an interesting place. Alabama and Auburn used to play to play there annually, but pulled out decades ago as it fell apart. You can see the lack of dedication the AD had to the football program when they are playing in a crumbling off-campus stadium that has 50k empty seats every week.

I just can't imagine how the players and fans feel.

[yote14]

I know Football costs a lot of money but if I was a school that did not have anything to look forward to every year but basketball it would be hard for me to follow a program. In UNO's case at least they have Hockey which is probably bigger for them than football.

[jackjd]

I wonder how much consideration was given to scaling back to FCS. Bad deal for students and fans.

[Yote 53]

Read up on this. This decision was driven by the Board of Trustees and had more to do with throwing every possible resource/eliminating in-state programs that would compete with Alabama. It was Paul Bryant Jr. leading the charge to shut the program down. The City of Birmingham wants to keep the program and were discussing building a Dome near downtown for the team to play in that they could also use for other city events like concerts, conventions, etc. It wreaks of King Husker in Lincoln and how there can be only one D1 program in the state of Nebraska.

[Yotes]

Dec 4, 2014 10:42:08 GMT -6 Yote 53 said:

Read up on this. This decision was driven by the Board of Trustees and had more to do with throwing every possible resource/eliminating in-state programs that would compete with Alabama. It was Paul Bryant Jr. leading the charge to shut the program down. The City of Birmingham wants to keep the program and were discussing building a Dome near downtown for the team to play in that they could also use for other city events like concerts, conventions, etc. It wreaks of King Husker in Lincoln and how there can be only one D1 program in the state of Nebraska.

I haven't followed to know what pushed the change here, but I don't know if I believe that the Board of Trustees pushed it to withhold competition with Alabama. This same organization very recently approved the decision to let South Alabama start a football program in 2007 and it's already playing in a bowl game this year in their second year of FBS play. There's a whole lot of D1 football in Alabama, and I can't see the Board of Trustees putting pressure on everyone to shut their teams down.

Nebraska on the other hand I believe. Pretty sure UNO doesn't have a football team anymore because of the Huskers.

[ctc2010]

Looks like UAB is announcing that it's football program is returning espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12991674/uab-blazers-football-return

[Yotes]

Dec 4, 2014 16:17:36 GMT -6 Yotes said:

Dec 4, 2014 10:42:08 GMT -6 Yote 53 said:

Read up on this. This decision was driven by the Board of Trustees and had more to do with throwing every possible resource/eliminating in-state programs that would compete with Alabama. It was Paul Bryant Jr. leading the charge to shut the program down. The City of Birmingham wants to keep the program and were discussing building a Dome near downtown for the team to play in that they could also use for other city events like concerts, conventions, etc. It wreaks of King Husker in Lincoln and how there can be only one D1 program in the state of Nebraska.

I haven't followed to know what pushed the change here, but I don't know if I believe that the Board of Trustees pushed it to withhold competition with Alabama. This same organization very recently approved the decision to let South Alabama start a football program in 2007 and it's already playing in a bowl game this year in their second year of FBS play. There's a whole lot of D1 football in Alabama, and I can't see the Board of Trustees putting pressure on everyone to shut their teams down.

Nebraska on the other hand I believe. Pretty sure UNO doesn't have a football team anymore because of the Huskers.

Once the facts started rolling out it became apparent that UAB football got the ax from people looking out for the Crimson Tide. I was definitely wrong on this one.

UAB is definitely in an interesting situation now. Are they going to retain any of their players or coaches? Disbanding for a year may yield some disastrous results for the program that was starting to get some traction. Reading into the article I see a $7.5 million gift was given contingent upon UAB building an on campus stadium. Good on them for that. I've been to the place they play in now and it is just a behemoth that has not been well maintained.