UAB shuts down football program

Associated Press ^ | Dec 2, 2014 3:48 PM EST | Jay Reeves

[Olog-hai]

UAB is shutting down the football program.

The university announced the decision Tuesday minutes after President Ray Watts met with the Blazers players and coaches. UAB made the decision after a campus-wide study conducted by a consulting firm over the past year. …

[gov_bean_ counter]

This is going to get ugly. UA in Tuscaloosa BOT calls the shots for UAB and UAH. Conflict of interest? Many seem to think so.

[colorado tanker]

Read somewhere not long ago that it is a myth college football makes money. Only a few at the top make real money.

[dfwgator]

I think a lot of smaller schools will be dropping football, they just can’t compete with the big guys.

[txnativegop]

college football is an expensive hobby and UAB doesn’t have the fan base of say . . . Tennessee or Texas or the other well known programs.

It does suck that the school shut down the shooting team, that IS a useful skill.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Bring in consultants to take the hit for delivering the bad news. And they say it’s not a business.

[taxcontrol]

Especially since Title IX

[gov_bean_ counter]

Way more to this story than the AP article. UAB President reciting the company line.

Who do you like to replace Coach Boom?

[C19fan]

Reading comments on this some claim Tuscaloosa is like a vampire and sucks resources away from UAB and UAH. For example, most of the profits from the UAB Hospital/Medical School gets sent to Tuscaloosa.

[Vigilanteman]

The truth of the matter is that something like only one out of 14 college athletic even breaks even.

Some programs may be worthwhile anyway due to the benefits to the larger community and the opportunity it gives young people for scholarships and such.

But the harsh reality is that too many programs only subsidize six figure salaries (and more) for coaches and serve as uncompensated farm teams for the NFL.

Ultimately, the shortfall in money comes from taxpayers, alumni, higher tuition and other non beneficiaries.

I got my first serious well paying job because the company liked my college's reputation for turning out serious workers in my field, even though its football team usually went 2-11 or, in a great year, 4-9.

[Vigilanteman]

The truth of the matter is that something like only one out of 14 college athletic programs even breaks even.

Sorry.

[gov_bean_ counter]

I have heard the same thing, but the political will doesn’t exist in Montgomery to split up the two universities.

[C19fan]

Also I am reading about Paul Bryant Jr seems have something against UAB. Why would he want to stick it to UAB? Did UAB do something to his papa?

[gov_bean_ counter]

Don't know what Jr's problem is, but he does have one.

Already internet talk of UAB boosters setting up UAT players and recruits in a big way. May get interesting.

[dfwgator]

Who do you like to replace Coach Boom?

Nick Saban. ;)

Actually it looks like it will be Jim McElwain from Colorado State. At least he does have some head coaching experience.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Would be a good hire.

[txrefugee]

The real scandal is the universities taking the students’ money in exchange for worthless degrees that do not qualify them for employment.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Several years ago UAB tried to hire Jimbo Fisher, but the BOT nixed that deal...

[tnlibertarian]

college football is an expensive hobby and UAB doesn’t have the fan base of say . . . Tennessee or Texas or the other well known programs.

Speaking of Tennessee, we will be looking for a new opponent for our opener next year. It was UAB.

[Always A Marine]

I believe a lot of smaller schools make money on football in the right circumstances, which include location, fan base and competing against similar schools. While UAB is a large school, it is urban (by location, not race) and is still predominantly a commuter school with an alumni and fan base that will always will be more interested in Alabama and/or Auburn football. But away from Birmingham, smaller programs at Troy and several of Alabama's "directional" universities thrive in relatively isolated locations and smaller leagues.

I believe Georgia State's new football program faces the same impossible odds in downtown Atlanta, where it competes with strong loyalties to UGA, Georgia Tech and the Falcons. But away from Atlanta, Georgia Southern and Valdosta State thrive in smaller ponds - as does the even smaller and newer football program at Mercer University in Macon.