UAB: What to make of this?

[TD_6082]

There is a study out that contends the UAB football program actually made money.

I feel really bad for the players on the team and the staff. Everyone likes to believe their administration always has the best interest of the program or university at heart and that isn't always the case.

http://espn.go.com/college-football...pped-financial-reasons-made-money-study-finds

Another trip to the bowl game down there, and we might become B'ham's adopted home team.

 

[Rockyhound]

The reason given for dumping football at UAB was/is BS. It was politics plain and simple. The U of A BOT system is heavily influenced by Bryant's son and he made sure UAB never had the resources to be even slightly competitive.

Years ago they were set to hire Jimbo Fisher at a meager 600K salary. He led the charge to nix that stating "fiscal responsibility." After that UAB attempted to raise funds for a new stadium. That was met with resistance around every corner. Despite all that they were showing signs of being somewhat competitive so it was time to shut it down before there was even a hint of competition to the beloved Tide.

I'm not sure why anyone down there would be even remotely concerned about UAB coming close to catching up to the Tide. Heck if anything UAB could have been a nice soft landing spot for kids who started at Bama and didn't make the cut. Saban can look like a saint showing all the kids he helped find "better fits" after over signing another class.

 

[pittdan77]

This story still bugs me. Not much different than years ago when PSU started the campaign in Harrisburg that Pitt and Temple got too much money compared to a "real" state school. Then this year, their share went through the roof in the proposed budget. Worth watching.

 

[Jpripper88]

The reason given for dumping football at UAB was/is BS. It was politics plain and simple. The U of A BOT system is heavily influenced by Bryant's son and he made sure UAB never had the resources to be even slightly competitive.

Years ago they were set to hire Jimbo Fisher at a meager 600K salary. He led the charge to nix that stating "fiscal responsibility." After that UAB attempted to raise funds for a new stadium. That was met with resistance around every corner. Despite all that they were showing signs of being somewhat competitive so it was time to shut it down before there was even a hint of competition to the beloved Tide.

I'm not sure why anyone down there would be even remotely concerned about UAB coming close to catching up to the Tide. Heck if anything UAB could have been a nice soft landing spot for kids who started at Bama and didn't make the cut. Saban can look like a saint showing all the kids he helped find "better fits" after over signing another class.

Not really true. The issue was/is economics. The numbers that group floats are blatantly wrong. Now, that doesn't mean it was the right choice, because I think the exposure a D1 football program adds is extremely positive, yet hard to measure, but UAB has and had significant challenges this report and the national media fail to really address. The biggest is that they have no stadium. Most of us have been there (Yah Birmingham Bowl x3!!) and it is a condemned facility on its last legs. They don't have close to the money to build a stadium and beyond calculable benefits like exposure, it will never pay for itself if the school, system, or city builds one. This report disregards scholarship and total cost of attendance costs and assumes UAB increases ticket revenues when absolutely all evidence (within their program and nationally) suggests that couldn't be further from the likely scenario. Not to mention, this counts on increasing playoff revenues for non-Power 5 schools in a climate where that is very, very much in doubt.

Do the athletic powers in Tuscaloosa want UAB to be successful in football? Of course not. UAB is completely unique and it is unique for a reason: No other big system has or will allow it. The faux outrage without that understanding is comical. The profits from Tuscaloosa shouldn't subsidize UAB in even the slightest amount and that suggestion by some is by far the most comical.

Power athletics at UAB are an enormous uphill battle because they are a commuter and international student school with absolutely no fanbase.

 

[Rockyhound]

Fair points all the way around. I wonder however what would have happened if UAB had been able to hire Fisher. It's safe to assume he wouldn't have stuck around long but had he not pulled a Todd Graham he MAY have been able to elevate the program to a point of long term respectability. Like you said however it would have always been an uphill battle given the dynamics of the school itself being largely commuter.

 

[pittdan77]

If it's foreshadowing of the days of haves versus have not's, then let's get it over with and move on. I'm tired of the BS that happens in the name of "amateur" sports. I just want to see the Panthers able to compete without having to figure out how to out-spend everyone else and stay true to the quality academics that made the school great.

 

[Jpripper88]

Fair points all the way around. I wonder however what would have happened if UAB had been able to hire Fisher. It's safe to assume he wouldn't have stuck around long but had he not pulled a Todd Graham he MAY have been able to elevate the program to a point of long term respectability. Like you said however it would have always been an uphill battle given the dynamics of the school itself being largely commuter.

Never know, but I also don't believe the Fisher numbers, even though the rumored numbers were still higher than they were approved for at the time.

I think the most interesting aspect is the situation really is completely unique, and for obvious reasons.

 

[TD_6082]

Perhaps this decision was inevitable. My biggest problem with it is the timing. They had just hired a first year coach. The product on the field was getting better, attendance numbers were up. The Blazers had just made a jump to CUSA. I think they could have been a little more transparent and honest about where they stood in their support of the program & the figures they wanted to produce to make the program sustainable. If they had, perhaps the program could have secured more funding from private donors.

 

[7Fielder]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/9891201

Interesting article of Bryant screwing with UAB all the way back in 2006. Not gonna pretend that I know the inner workings of UA's budget but interesting none the less.