UAB prepared to shut down football program

[Dryden]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/11/30/uab-to-shut-down-football-program/19702899/

UAB prepared to shut down football program
Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports 4:10 p.m. EST November 30, 2014

With UAB's football future hanging in the balance, a person close to the decision-making process told USA TODAY Sports that athletics director Brian Mackin has given indications the program will shut down this week and that Mackin is working on a separation agreement from the university.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the conversations were supposed to be private.

Mackin did not return multiple calls and text messages seeking comment.

The decision comes as UAB reached bowl eligibility Saturday for the first time since 2004 and second time in school history. Since its inception as a Division III program in 1991, it has suffered from lack of success and inadequate funding under the watch of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees.

Cont'd ....

 

[scarletmike]

From what little I've read on this, it sounds an awful lot like sour grapes and politics from the Bama side of things. Probably won't get interesting because no one will dare challenge the main campus' power, but I certainly wouldn't mind if it did.

 

[kujirakira]

Half the SEC is sitting on pins and needles wondering what other cupcakes could be scheduled in their wake.

 

[matcar]

Doesn't Paul Bryant's grandson have something to do with this? Heard somewhere that he holds longstanding grudge against UAB because a one time basketball coach Gene Bartow said something unkind about Bryant. So younger Bryant is on some Board that controls funding and he isn't going to allow funding for UAB.

 

[Thump]

I am shocked more schools have not done this.

Look for it to become more prevalent as the "paycheck" games against the big boys dry up.

 

[Dryden]

Doesn't Paul Bryant's grandson have something to do with this? Heard somewhere that he holds longstanding grudge against UAB because a one time basketball coach Gene Bartow said something unkind about Bryant. So younger Bryant is on some Board that controls funding and he isn't going to allow funding for UAB.

It is political, and the Bryant heirs have their hand in it, but from what I've gathered many UAB alum predicted this was inevitable when UAB moved up from Div-1AA in 1995/96.

 

[MaxBuck]

I should care whether UAB drops its football program - why?

 

[Palpie]

I should care whether UAB drops its football program - why?

Ord might see it as a blueprint for dealing with the fredos.

 

[AJHawkfan]

From what little I've read on this, it sounds an awful lot like sour grapes and politics from the Bama side of things. Probably won't get interesting because no one will dare challenge the main campus' power, but I certainly wouldn't mind if it did.

I was told that this decision is 100% about Bama not wanting UAB (or Birmingham in general) to be successful in any way, shape or form; or the least bit competitive to them.

 

[Dryden]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11967626/uab-blazers-shut-football-program

UAB shutting down football program

UAB has shut down its football program, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad on Tuesday.

...

UAB finished 6-6 this season and is eligible to play in a bowl game should the Blazers get an invitation. Players will meet later Tuesday to decide if they want to play should a bowl berth be extended.

Playing in the shadows of Alabama and Auburn and lacking an on-campus stadium, UAB has struggled to develop a fan base and consistent attendance in the nearly two decades since it joined the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Average attendance doubled this year under Clark to more than 20,000 fans per game, but reports circulated that administrators might kill the program even as the Blazers compiled their best record in a decade.

Eliminating football would jeopardize UAB's membership in Conference USA and associated programs including the school's marching band. Members of the band and cheerleaders joined in the protest at the administrative offices on Monday.

The last FBS school to eliminate football was Pacific in 1995.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

I was told that this decision is 100% about Bama not wanting UAB (or Birmingham in general) to be successful in any way, shape or form; or the least bit competitive to them.

Yeah, it's about more than football. The medical school faculty has really pushed the university in the direction of being a decent school (better undergraduate admissions stats than Tuscaloosa now) and the good ol' boys want none of this yankee intellekshul bs. They installed a crony from Tuscaloosa in as President who's gone so far as to actually berate students in UAB's honor program as "elitists" at public events. Of course, the good ol' boys are too stupid to realize (like a certain dead Ohio Governor did a generation ago) that if they decimate a school's undergraduate reputation that a lot of those faculty who bring in the research dollars might start to look at their options.

 

[Crump's brother]

So Bama plays Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss-two UAB conference rivals in their OOC schedule this year. Wonder why they would do that?

 

[Dryden]

 

[Dryden]

More dirt being compiled here:

http://www.fireraywatts.com/

 

[kujirakira]

So Bama plays Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss-two UAB conference rivals in their OOC schedule this year. Wonder why they would do that?

Because they're Mid-Majors in the SEC footprint ?
If they had half a brain and not obsessed with being vindictive, they'd pay themselves to play their own 'B' team every year. Maybe as a de facto preseason game, or maybe one of those critical breaks after LSU or before Auburn.
In any case, after seeing this article... they can rot in hell with PSU and FSU as far as I'm concerned. The elephant stands on the turtle... and from there it's turtles and corruption all the way down.
http://espn.go.com/magazine/vol5no12uab.html

More dirt being compiled here:

http://www.fireraywatts.com/

The current first post is rather... interesting. What does sinking the athletics department have to do with accreditation ? Maybe that's an Alabama thing? No Football = No MDs!