UAB shutting down football program

[IrishSteelhead]

They were actually a sometimes pesky/decent mid-major, and are bowl eligible this year.

Report: UAB to shut down football program

 

[Irish4Life09]

any players we can steal?

 

[Grahambo]

Just their head coach but he'll get a gig somewhere good.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Ridiculous by Alabama Board of Trustees. It's a shame.

 

[irishff1014]

This is Terrible.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Roddy White's alma mater


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[IrishInFl]

I've heard rumors of Hawaii closing their football program as well.

 

[KPENN]

Probably a dumb question, but are players allowed to transfer?

 

[Bishop2b5]

Probably a dumb question, but are players allowed to transfer?

Yes, they can transfer anywhere they like and won't have to sit out a year.

 

[Jackalope1977]

I can't even believe this is possible. How or why any university would disband a football program is beyond me. Hawaii is an exceptional case because of travel expenses but anywhere else is just ridiculous.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I can't even believe this is possible. How or why any university would disband a football program is beyond me. Hawaii is an exceptional case because of travel expenses but anywhere else is just ridiculous.

It's not the University's choice. The way Alabama does it is that they are part of the University of Alabama system, so the Alabama Board of Trustees decides all of this. It's an awful system.

 

[Bluto]

I can't even believe this is possible. How or why any university would disband a football program is beyond me. Hawaii is an exceptional case because of travel expenses but anywhere else is just ridiculous.

Did you happen to catch the UC Davis vs Sacramento State game? Yeah...some colleges shouldn't waste public resources on stadiums, coaches, facilities. Frankly if the program runs in the red at public institutions and or fails to graduate student athletes at a respectable level I think they should be axed.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Piss on Bear Bryant Jr and the rest of the Trustees that are moving to shut UAB down. Bill Clark is a great coach and he put 28,000 fans in the seats their last game. Has even secured close to $5 million in sponsorships. So they lost $17 million last year. That's a drop in the bucket for the University of Alabama. Money isn't the reason they are moving to shutter the program.

But somebody needs to grab Clark. The guy is an amazing coach.

 

[NDfaninBama]

Like T Town Tommy said,Clark is a great coach and has dramatically improved the program in one year. Basically it's a power issue with Bryant Jr. and the Trustees wanting to destroy UAB to somehow benefit Alabama by drawing more students in.

Here's an article providing some points of why shutting down the football program due to "losing money" is a farce
How broke is UAB's athletics department? The truth and the myth | AL.com

Unfortunately the University has no say in the matter, they had Jimbo Fischer lined up to coach them before he was hired at FSU, but the Trustees wouldn't agree to the contract that was backed financially by private donations.

 

[GowerND11]

It's sad that on the entire board they have 1 person on it that has UAB's best interests in mind. There is a representative from Alabama, and a huge supporter of UAB, who is trying to get a bill passed in the state that allows UAB to have their own board.

Just disgusting that these people are doing this, especially when progress was being made.

 

[dublinirish]

It's sad that on the entire board they have 1 person on it that has UAB's best interests in mind. There is a representative from Alabama, and a huge supporter of UAB, who is trying to get a bill passed in the state that allows UAB to have their own board.

Just disgusting that these people are doing this, especially when progress was being made.

That's BAMA.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

The Board of Trustees have also kept UAB in the crumbling ruins of Legion Field. The way in which the University of Alabama school system is run is extremely backwards and detrimental to all of the schools, even the University of Alabama.

 

[dublinirish]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>RT <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinScarbinsky">@KevinScarbinsky</a>: Sources: UAB President Ray Watts will announce today he's ending the school's football program. <a href="http://t.co/U9CAUNLUmS">http://t.co/U9CAUNLUmS</a></p>— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) <a href="https://twitter.com/slmandel/status/539814636372373505">December 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Bishop2b5]

Never been a fan of Bryant Jr. He is largely responsible for a lot of the problems Bama football had between the end of his father's career and the hiring of Saban. Nick's demand of full control of the football program as a condition of taking the job was directly related to PBJr and his inept meddling.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Did you happen to catch the UC Davis vs Sacramento State game? Yeah...some colleges shouldn't waste public resources on stadiums, coaches, facilities. Frankly if the program runs in the red at public institutions and or fails to graduate student athletes at a respectable level I think they should be axed.

True but this isn't really about that. This is more about Paul Bear Bryant Jr holding a grudge for what former UAB bball HC, Gene Bartow; said about Bear Bryant. This is all payback for that according to what those in the know have reported. Good old boy network is railroading this. I'll defer to Bishop & T-Town but this is more about revenue.

 

[NDfaninBama]

I graduated from UAB and so I have a dog in the fight. Here's another article calling B.S. as to the BOT and PBJ's excuse to shut it down.

Is UAB's football program actually profitable? | AL.com


This isn't about money, it's about control and keeping Bama on a pedestal. This has been ongoing for a while
'Little Bear' Bryant crosses line again in denying UAB - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com

 

[Andy in Sactown]

Did you happen to catch the UC Davis vs Sacramento State game? Yeah...some colleges shouldn't waste public resources on stadiums, coaches, facilities. Frankly if the program runs in the red at public institutions and or fails to graduate student athletes at a respectable level I think they should be axed.

I never miss a hornets versus.. the uh.. what are they.. broncos? I give up.

 

[IrishLax]

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eAvSuQEh6lI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Painful to watch.

 

[Bluto]

I never miss a hornets versus.. the uh.. what are they.. broncos? I give up.

It was a real barn burner.

 

[IrishLax]

Also, this: 'Little Bear' Bryant crosses line again in denying UAB - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com

From almost a decade ago. To think UAB could've had Jimbo Fisher...

UAB booster believes killing football program is a 'done deal,' a decision 2 decades in the making | AL.com

Birmingham needs UAB, not UA trustees' plantation mentality: opinion | AL.com

 

[stlnd01]

Don't know anything about the UAB situation, other than that it sucks for the players, that it sounds like "Little Bear" is an asshole, and that it's got to be hard to play third fiddle in a small state.
But broadly speaking, I'm with Bluto. There are a lot of younger/smaller FBS programs that struggle financially, and if they're losing money, I'm not sure why they need to exist. Especially at state schools. I expect you'll see more programs fold down the road.

 

[NorthDakota]

I never miss a hornets versus.. the uh.. what are they.. broncos? I give up.

I attend North Dakota State. FCS football is a joke.

 

[NDfaninBama]

Don't know anything about the UAB situation, other than that it sucks for the players, that it sounds like "Little Bear" is an asshole, and that it's got to be hard to play third fiddle in a small state.
But broadly speaking, I'm with Bluto. There are a lot of younger/smaller FBS programs that struggle financially, and if they're losing money, I'm not sure why they need to exist. Especially at state schools. I expect you'll see more programs fold down the road.

3 years ago the UAB boosters had 75% of a new on campus stadium pledged from private donations, $20 million would have been paid back over 30 years. The study showed it was financially viable b/c they would have no longer been paying a lease, they would have had the ticket sales, concessions etc. They were going to build it so to be multi-use including soccer. The BOT blocked it and at the same time backed loans to build some fraternity houses in Tuscaloosa.

The report analyzing the athletic department was a farce. Auburn's athletic department didn't make money, most programs don't make money, but they build the brand and help bring in students which then makes money for the school.

 

[GoldenDomer]

That video... damn.

 

[stlnd01]

3 years ago the UAB boosters had 75% of a new on campus stadium pledged from private donations, $20 million would have been paid back over 30 years. The study showed it was financially viable b/c they would have no longer been paying a lease, they would have had the ticket sales, concessions etc. They were going to build it so to be multi-use including soccer. The BOT blocked it and at the same time backed loans to build some fraternity houses in Tuscaloosa.

The report analyzing the athletic department was a farce. Auburn's athletic department didn't make money, most programs don't make money, but they build the brand and help bring in students which then makes money for the school.

Like I said, it does sound like UAB is getting hosed by it's own trustees, which is bullshit. As for Auburn, they may not make money (they don't? Wow.), but Auburn football is a big deal, expands the university's brand and brings students to the school. I get the payoff there.
I'm talking about programs like UMass or Georgia State. I don't know what the point of them is supposed to be.