UAB reinstates football for 2016

[Unregistered User]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB will play football in in 2016, reversing an earlier decision to drop the program.

The decision, announced Monday by university president Ray Watts, comes after an overwhelming public outcry, a strong showing of monetary support and a new school-commissioned study examining the financial ramifications of supporting the three dropped programs.

Link

 

[Sparlimb]

Good for UAB, but what a bizarre process. They ran off every football player and now have to start from scratch. Which means they'll be terrible even longer and lose fan support leading to some wondering if they should shut their doors. Granted, I'm a pessimist.

 

[Nate]

They didn't do a study before making their initial decision?

 

[Iceland12]

They didn't do a study before making their initial decision?

Sure, the Trustees polled each other and asked"Can we finally kill that red headed step child?" The "ayes" carried.

The Alabama Board of Trustees control both schools. They've been irritated about UAB for awhile and have made sure that that Blazers don't "siphon" any money from the Crimson Tide or get enough money to get viable.

Google "Alabama stops hiring of Jimbo Fisher" sometime. That was the first time me and most people from outside Alabama became aware of the situation.

Hears a link to the football discussion from last Fall.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...f-trustees-finally-ready-to-kill-uab-football

Simmering under the surface of this debate is the role of powerful trustees with Crimson Tide ties, including Paul Bryant Jr., the son of the legendary Alabama football coach. To UAB supporters, there is no doubt Bryant Jr. plans to finally kill UAB football before he leaves the board this year after a decades-old feud tied to Gene Bartow, the late founder of UAB athletics.

Bartow accused Bear Bryant of cheating in a letter to the NCAA in 1991.

"Gene Bartow, out of his mouth, told me on many, many occasions that the aim of the board of trustees was to kill UAB football in the last 8-10 years," said Jimmy Filler, UAB's biggest booster and the creator of the UAB Football Foundation. "They're going to get the recommendation from [UAB President Ray Watts], and they'll accept what he brings to them."

Alabama state Rep. Jack Williams, a longtime supporter of UAB, said the board has always been opposed to UAB football.

"It's been a thorn in their flesh since day one," Williams said. "I think they've done everything to kill it. I'll be honest: I think the program's success this year may be what leads to its demise if the board goes through with this because people are excited."

A message left for Bryant Jr., who rarely speaks publicly, was not returned.

 

[beat bucky]

I lived in Birmingham and this whole process was a head scratcher. Football is nearly religion in Alabama. And UAB has always been a competitive program producing some good players like Roddy White, Joe Webb, Bryan Thomas, Zac Woodfin, Eddie Freeman etc..
UAB does not compete with the Tide in ANY WAY in football. And I can't imagine a program at the school that brings in as much revenue as Blazers football, so...
It has to be a personal feud- or politics.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

What a circus.

 

[Spoofin]

Just a new way to raise $17M+ for your program. Brilliant!

 

[RodentRampage]

It looks like something they hadn't thought out. I believe C-USA requires schools to have football. Unless C-USA granted them a waiver, they would have had to find a new conference altogether.

 

[Rescooter]

Perhaps Purdue will re-instate their football program.

 

[Northrop]

Unregistered User, who complains when someones posts about college football teams in neighboring states who have several players from the state of Minnesota, creates a post about a small time football program in the deep south with no Minnesota players.

 

[Unregistered User]

Unregistered User, who complains when someones posts about college football teams in neighboring states who have several players from the state of Minnesota, creates a post about a small time football program in the deep south with no Minnesota players.

Poor eagan Are your little feelings hurt?

Or are you still stinging from getting banned?