🏈 UAB Blazers football program ends

[PhillyGirl]

http://www.si.com/college-football/...down-football-program-fires-athletic-director

Alabama-Birmingham is firing athletic director Brian Mackin and will announce later this week that it will be shutting down its football program, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The announcement will likely be Thursday and is a move that boosters and former players had feared for the last month. UAB is undergoing a university-wide yearlong comprehensive strategic planning study that includes the evaluation of the financial viability of football.

The news comes on the heels of theBlazers beating Southern Mississippi 45-24 on Saturday night to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004, the school’s lone bowl appearance.

It’s been a miraculous season for UAB (6-6) under first-year coach Bill Clark. He took over a program that hadn’t had a winning season in a decade and was so downtrodden that his predecessor Garrick McGee quit on his own accord after two seasons to become offensive coordinator at Louisville.

Clark having just a three-year contract and there not being any non-conference opponents scheduled beyond the 2016 season had raised concerns about the university’s commitment to football. The last FBSschool to drop football was Pacific in 1995.

“It’s been tough,” Clark told reporters after Saturday’s win. “My wife will say I’m one that can focus pretty good, but it’s been hard. I have to just admit it. It’s been tough. Hopefully, that shows what we’re about.”

Earlier this month, UAB President Ray L. Watts released a statement about the campus-wide study after concerns surfaced that the football program would be shuttered:

"More than a year ago, UAB began the most comprehensive campus-wide strategic planning process in our history, calling for the 10 schools, College of Arts and Sciences, Honors College, Information Technology, Research Administration, and other units to develop individual strategic plans, set priorities and implement long-term goals.

"Within that framework, the Athletic Department is conducting a full strategic review of its programs. The Athletic Department has engaged outside experts and is exploring a full range of options - not all of which will be implemented - to reach its desired results of sustained excellence.

"Not surprisingly given the size of the program, one area of focus involves evaluating the investments in football and the resources necessary to achieve and sustain excellence now and into the future. We've been working for many months on this data driven process, and it would be counterproductive and inappropriate to speculate on outcomes based on an incomplete process -- not just related to athletics, but across the campus.

"We are working to accelerate the timeline for completion of the strategic plan and will communicate with the UAB community in the near future. Although we certainly welcome input from our fans and supporters and value their enthusiasm, the fact is that rumor and innuendo will be distracting to our coaches and players who have big games in the coming weeks."

"We are being careful and thoughtful in our disciplined process with lots of input - and we will reach the right outcomes for UAB."

 

[sean]

well, at least they got to go out with a win.

i wonder if they'll honor all those scholarships?

 

[PhillyGirl]

well, at least they got to go out with a win.

i wonder if they'll honor all those scholarships?

I sure hope so. It would be really cold if they didn't.

 

[bama alum]

uab athletics lost $17.5 million last year (Remember, Tuscaloosa's mayor said Tuscaloosa makes that much each home game weekend). No need to blame the UA trustees for this one. Blame the complete lack of public support.

 

[TerryP]

It has no effect on me but its good news for the UA system. I've been calling dor this for....more than a decade.

 

[bama alum]

A friend of mine is an avid uab football supporter (he's one of the twenty of them) and regularly goes to their games. He posted this pic on fb earlier this year; this is when uab was actually making a name for itself.

Again, don't blame UA trustees; where's the public support? I asked him, in a joking way of course, if he had trouble finding a seat. He told me he found a recliner.

 

[alabama mike]

Most schools lose money but 17 million? Wow!

 

[UAgrad93]

Those UAB people will blame it in Bryant, Jr. because Neal Calloway was hired over Jimbo Fisher. I'm guessing these same people are assuming Fisher would have had the success he has had at F$U and that he would still be there at UAB had he been hired.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

Those UAB people will blame it in Bryant, Jr. because Neal Calloway was hired over Jimbo Fisher. I'm guessing these same people are assuming Fisher would have had the success he has had at F$U and that he would still be there at UAB had he been hired.

Not just UAB people. In other places where there are multiple fanbases posting in common forums the wisdom is that Bama caused this because UAB was threatening to have a good team and take players and coaches away from Bama. The Bama hate runs deep.

 

[psychojoe]

It has no effect on me but its good news for the UA system. I've been calling dor this for....more than a decade.

This is something that should have been done years ago. The program has been a money pit since the day it decided to jump into FBS football. They only met the NCAA attendance requirements for teams at this level by giving away huge number of tickets and using generous estimates of attendance rather than actual turnstile accounts. Only generous support by the city of Birmingham has propped the program up for this long. UAB has multiple well respected academic programs, and is a major employer in the Birmingham area. On the other side, however, there is little reason for its students, employees and alumni to go to Legion Field to see the Blazers play. While other sports programs have done well, the loud clamor for support of this program simply does not put butts in the seats.

 

[planomateo]

Jon Solomon hinted at this a few weeks ago that something was coming. Guess its actually gonna happen.

 

[bama alum]

Hundreds showed up tonight for a save UAB football rally. Hundreds...Probably the same head count of those who attend the games. Actually, I bet if you polled everyone of them, maybe 1 out of every 9 or 10 couldn't tell you how to get to Legion Field.

 

[rammerjammer]

I hate it for Coach Clark. He seems like a great guy, and a heck of a coach. I'm sure someone will snatch him up.

 

[planomateo]

 

[planomateo]

Saw this tweet while looking at Madison Underwoods feed above. All I could think is, seriously?!?! Keep losing money UAB so others can eventually met their spouses and get married...smh.

 

[TerryP]

@psychojoe I can't recall...what was it Gene Bartow was raising hell about a decade and a half, two decades ago? As I do recall, his tirades started this "UA BOT vs UAB" stories.

 

[psychojoe]

I do remember his tirade about that, and I think he was behind the effort to start UAB football. Some Boog backers chipped in early in the effort, seeing it as a way to weaken us.

Of course there was the well publicized feud between 'Clean Gene' and Wimp.

 

[bama alum]

I work with an avid UAB alum; she was on the sharp shooting team. Yep, it's those damn UA trustees. Whatever... I asked her about if everyone at the rally knew how to get to Legion Field. She quickly said yes, but she confirmed it by saying nothing was being given away free to go to the rally...like there is for the football games. HA!!

She said hers and the others' real worry is being kicked out of CUSA.

I'm also married to a UAB alum who is glad to see the program leave. She's one of those...nerdy academic types who wants to see more money sent to academics. Do-gooder...

 

[rick4bama]

Could the school just drop back to the lower level football program?

 

[UAgrad93]

@rick4bama, losing the program or dropping down to the FCS level, I believe affects all of the other sports when it comes to conference affiliations. Title IX statutes also come into play I believe. Got to have equal number of male and female schollies.