CommuterBob
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UAB dropping football after 2016?
Or rather, really being forced to drop football by the UAT?
http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2014/11/5...ll-program
Quote:In a letter sent today to UAB President Ray Watts, members of an organization called the UAB Football Foundation have alleged that the Alabama Board of Trustees is considering shutting down the UAB football program after the 2016 season.
The letter (which is embedded below) alleges that the board is studying the viability of the UAB football program, seeking evidence to support shutting down the program. The letter alleges this is why, unlike many of his coaching contemporaries in Conference USA, Clark was only offered a three-year contract last January — as such a deal coincides with the end of the 2016 season. UAB has zero non-conference games scheduled past 2016, which the letter also suggests is deliberate.
Sad if true. Maybe this is why our good ol' buddy blazr hasn't been around very much lately. UAB has had to endure the slings and arrows from Tuscaloosa despite being a better school academically and a better research institution.
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11-06-2014 08:44 AM |
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BeliefBlazer
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
The immediate threat is to football but the boosters seem to be worried about the entire undergraduate side of campus. The new President hired by the BOT is from the medical school. There is still a school of thought that UAB would be better off just focusing on the medical school and de-emphasizing all undergrad activities.
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11-06-2014 08:55 AM |
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gulfcoastgal
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 08:55 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: The immediate threat is to football but the boosters seem to be worried about the entire undergraduate side of campus. The new President hired by the BOT is from the medical school. There is still a school of thought that UAB would be better off just focusing on the medical school and de-emphasizing all undergrad activities.
No public university in the state's largest city? Makes no economic sense. Who will educate the work force? Now, that really would be a way to run a community into the ground.
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11-06-2014 09:01 AM |
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msm96wolf
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
Looking at FBS Schedule site, UAB has not games scheduled past 2016. Guess the question will be does CUSA stay at 13 or look to replace. If they raid, seems like GSo, USA, GST and Troy would be the best candidates. I think GA Southern would be the best football choice but Georgia State might be the best market choice.
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11-06-2014 09:04 AM |
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robertfoshizzle
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:01 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote: (11-06-2014 08:55 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: The immediate threat is to football but the boosters seem to be worried about the entire undergraduate side of campus. The new President hired by the BOT is from the medical school. There is still a school of thought that UAB would be better off just focusing on the medical school and de-emphasizing all undergrad activities.
No public university in the state's largest city? Makes no economic sense. Who will educate the work force? Now, that really would be a way to run a community into the ground.
No kidding. I can't think of a single city that size that doesn't have a large public university. I guess they really do value football over education down there.
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11-06-2014 09:04 AM |
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HeartOfDixie
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
I can't say I'm surprised. It's a waste of resources anyways.
UAB needs to be refocused on their original mission. There isn't enough money to support these types of things that merely drain the resources of the whole system.
It sucks for the fans though. But, such is the life of an extension school.
The BOT has been slowly moving much of the teaching in the medical school, which is the UA School of Medicine, back to Tuscaloosa. Without that UAB is largely without purpose.
(This post was last modified: 11-06-2014 09:11 AM by HeartOfDixie.)
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11-06-2014 09:09 AM |
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MWC Tex
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
Would they stay in CUSA as a non-football only or would they move to another non-football conference?
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11-06-2014 09:15 AM |
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CommuterBob
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:15 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: Would they stay in CUSA as a non-football only or would they move to another non-football conference?
The letter alleges that by dropping football, they would be required to drop out of CUSA and into a lower-echelon conference. I don't know if that's true, since CUSA currently allows Charlotte to play in the conference while they get their football program up to FBS level (2015 is their 2nd year of transition). I wouldn't think that CUSA would boot them if they couldn't play football, but you never know.
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11-06-2014 09:19 AM |
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Niner National
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:15 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: Would they stay in CUSA as a non-football only or would they move to another non-football conference?
As a founding member of CUSA, I would hope CUSA would cut them some slack. If we wanted to stay at 14 without raiding conferences or kicking UAB out, UMass is looking for a home.
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11-06-2014 09:20 AM |
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BeliefBlazer
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
You couldn't logistically get rid of ALL undergrad programs and still run a medical school, I don't think. Just that the leadership would strongly favor the medical side of campus.
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11-06-2014 09:22 AM |
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HeartOfDixie
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
Shutting down the undergraduate side makes little sense. It's the logical location for a lot of programs.
The local economy needs a lot of the folks UAB is producing.
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11-06-2014 09:25 AM |
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bullet
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 08:44 AM)CommuterBob Wrote: Or rather, really being forced to drop football by the UAT?
http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2014/11/5...ll-program
Quote:In a letter sent today to UAB President Ray Watts, members of an organization called the UAB Football Foundation have alleged that the Alabama Board of Trustees is considering shutting down the UAB football program after the 2016 season.
The letter (which is embedded below) alleges that the board is studying the viability of the UAB football program, seeking evidence to support shutting down the program. The letter alleges this is why, unlike many of his coaching contemporaries in Conference USA, Clark was only offered a three-year contract last January — as such a deal coincides with the end of the 2016 season. UAB has zero non-conference games scheduled past 2016, which the letter also suggests is deliberate.
Sad if true. Maybe this is why our good ol' buddy blazr hasn't been around very much lately. UAB has had to endure the slings and arrows from Tuscaloosa despite being a better school academically and a better research institution.
Bizarre. Why would they bring this up now instead of waiting until after signing day?
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11-06-2014 09:26 AM |
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bullet
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:09 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: I can't say I'm surprised. It's a waste of resources anyways.
UAB needs to be refocused on their original mission. There isn't enough money to support these types of things that merely drain the resources of the whole system.
It sucks for the fans though. But, such is the life of an extension school.
The BOT has been slowly moving much of the teaching in the medical school, which is the UA School of Medicine, back to Tuscaloosa. Without that UAB is largely without purpose.
That's pretty ridiculous. As had been said above, the state's largest city without a university?
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11-06-2014 09:30 AM |
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HeartOfDixie
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:30 AM)bullet Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:09 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: I can't say I'm surprised. It's a waste of resources anyways.
UAB needs to be refocused on their original mission. There isn't enough money to support these types of things that merely drain the resources of the whole system.
It sucks for the fans though. But, such is the life of an extension school.
The BOT has been slowly moving much of the teaching in the medical school, which is the UA School of Medicine, back to Tuscaloosa. Without that UAB is largely without purpose.
That's pretty ridiculous. As had been said above, the state's largest city without a university?
As far as the undergraduate side is concerned I agree that shutting it down is a poor move. It's the logical location for several programs, like nursing. I can see, barely, why shutting down superfluous programs like teaching and engineering at UAB make some sense.
The Board has gone the way of specializing both UAH and UAB for some time but in the last 20 years both have added a great number of superfluous programs.
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11-06-2014 09:34 AM |
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MWC Tex
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:20 AM)Niner National Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:15 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: Would they stay in CUSA as a non-football only or would they move to another non-football conference?
As a founding member of CUSA, I would hope CUSA would cut them some slack. If we wanted to stay at 14 without raiding conferences or kicking UAB out, UMass is looking for a home.
If CUSA wants UMass as a football only, then keeping UAB would work out. Unless, UMass feels that a full CUSA membership is worthwhile.
(This post was last modified: 11-06-2014 09:34 AM by MWC Tex.)
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11-06-2014 09:34 AM |
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Gray Avenger
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:30 AM)bullet Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:09 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: I can't say I'm surprised. It's a waste of resources anyways.
UAB needs to be refocused on their original mission. There isn't enough money to support these types of things that merely drain the resources of the whole system.
It sucks for the fans though. But, such is the life of an extension school.
The BOT has been slowly moving much of the teaching in the medical school, which is the UA School of Medicine, back to Tuscaloosa. Without that UAB is largely without purpose.
That's pretty ridiculous. As had been said above, the state's largest city without a university?
But they don't necessarily need to play FBS football.
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11-06-2014 09:43 AM |
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MWC Tex
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
You have to wonder, if UAB does drop football if they lead the charge to others in the G5 to do so also...or go FCS. Nobody wants to be the first, but once its done, then I'm sure others will strongly consider it and go FCS or drop it completely.
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11-06-2014 09:45 AM |
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HeartOfDixie
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:43 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:30 AM)bullet Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:09 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: I can't say I'm surprised. It's a waste of resources anyways.
UAB needs to be refocused on their original mission. There isn't enough money to support these types of things that merely drain the resources of the whole system.
It sucks for the fans though. But, such is the life of an extension school.
The BOT has been slowly moving much of the teaching in the medical school, which is the UA School of Medicine, back to Tuscaloosa. Without that UAB is largely without purpose.
That's pretty ridiculous. As had been said above, the state's largest city without a university?
But they don't necessarily need to play FBS football.
This
If it can't support itself the Board must shut it down. After all, the Board is bound to look out for the interests of UA.
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11-06-2014 09:46 AM |
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CommuterBob
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:46 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:43 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:30 AM)bullet Wrote: (11-06-2014 09:09 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote: I can't say I'm surprised. It's a waste of resources anyways.
UAB needs to be refocused on their original mission. There isn't enough money to support these types of things that merely drain the resources of the whole system.
It sucks for the fans though. But, such is the life of an extension school.
The BOT has been slowly moving much of the teaching in the medical school, which is the UA School of Medicine, back to Tuscaloosa. Without that UAB is largely without purpose.
That's pretty ridiculous. As had been said above, the state's largest city without a university?
But they don't necessarily need to play FBS football.
This
If it can't support itself the Board must shut it down. After all, the Board is bound to look out for the interests of UA.
So by that logic, all women's sports and any men's sports other than football and basketball should just shut down, too right? They're not self-supporting.
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11-06-2014 09:58 AM |
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stever20
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RE: UAB dropping football after 2016?
(11-06-2014 09:45 AM)MWC Tex Wrote: You have to wonder, if UAB does drop football if they lead the charge to others in the G5 to do so also...or go FCS. Nobody wants to be the first, but once its done, then I'm sure others will strongly consider it and go FCS or drop it completely.
I'm sure there would be a few others- but also- from what I've seen on this board the last few years- UAB is also kind of a strange situation.
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11-06-2014 09:58 AM |
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