(02-12-2015 09:30 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  The longer UAB Football stays away (i.e. not playing), the better chance of landing a REAL PLAN to bring it back (maybe wait for a stadium, more alumni $$$ for donations maybe for the first time, etc...).

Don't take short cuts or rush back too soon...as everyone knows that without a plan, you are destined to repeat the same mistakes, over and over again.

UAB should come up with a 4-5 year plan...create interest in the program (and/or a new stadium), and after some that missed it over those years (many that probably weren't even donors or season tix holders), much better chance at getting them into the fold.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Bravo.

(02-12-2015 11:12 AM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  Attendance for football at UAB has been bad for a while, but anyone making a broad judgement about the program based solely on that isn't getting the whole picture. ECU has been conference mates with most AAC teams long enough that I have seen all of us struggle with attendance in football, basketball, or both (ECU included). The difference is when one of us sucks we can fire a coach and bring in who we want, assuming that coach wants to come. UAB hasn't had that opportunity. When any of us have wanted to upgrade our football facilities, and are willing to raise the money, we were able to do that. UAB wasn't.

It's easy to look at their attendance and say they didn't really care but most of us wouldn't do much better with prolonged failure on the field court. Fortunately we pretty much free to remedy that failure how we see fit. What if Memphis was blocked from hiring Fuente? What if ECU wasn't allowed to choose our coaches after John Thompson? Or if while we were struggling under bad coaches we were also playing in a dilapidated off campus stadium and weren't allowed to build an OCS? All of us would struggle greatly with attendance under those circumstances.

It would be one thing if UAB had full control of their program and that was the best they could do, but to be handicapped for years and then be told by the same people that are handicapping you that you aren't successful enough to keep your program is a joke. It's hard enough to be a non autonomous-5 football program, doing so with one hand tied behind your back is impossible.

The deserve a fair shake to run their program on their terms. If they can't make it work that way then they would have nobody to blame but themselves. Unfortunately even that would take some time now as they would be starting from scratch. They were essentially handed the SMU death penalty by the folks in Tuscaloosa for doing nothing wrong.

Very well stated. Great post

(02-12-2015 11:16 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 09:30 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  The longer UAB Football stays away (i.e. not playing), the better chance of landing a REAL PLAN to bring it back (maybe wait for a stadium, more alumni $$$ for donations maybe for the first time, etc...).

Don't take short cuts or rush back too soon...as everyone knows that without a plan, you are destined to repeat the same mistakes, over and over again.

UAB should come up with a 4-5 year plan...create interest in the program (and/or a new stadium), and after some that missed it over those years (many that probably weren't even donors or season tix holders), much better chance at getting them into the fold.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Bravo.

I don't necessarily disagree but that hinges on the board allowing them to build a stadium and their president not turning people away who are inquiring about making donations. They were trying not to make some of the "mistakes" they made but they weren't allowed to avoid them.

It's also not a case of UAB shutting down UAB football. It is outsiders who don't have the interests of UAB at heart. If UAB goes quietly and in a few years tries to bring back football they will say "you didn't seem to mind when it was shut down, why do you want it back now?"

(02-12-2015 11:23 AM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 11:16 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 09:30 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  The longer UAB Football stays away (i.e. not playing), the better chance of landing a REAL PLAN to bring it back (maybe wait for a stadium, more alumni $$$ for donations maybe for the first time, etc...).

Don't take short cuts or rush back too soon...as everyone knows that without a plan, you are destined to repeat the same mistakes, over and over again.

UAB should come up with a 4-5 year plan...create interest in the program (and/or a new stadium), and after some that missed it over those years (many that probably weren't even donors or season tix holders), much better chance at getting them into the fold.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Bravo.

I don't necessarily disagree but that hinges on the board allowing them to build a stadium and their president not turning people away who are inquiring about making donations. They were trying not to make some of the "mistakes" they made but they weren't allowed to avoid them.

It's also not a case of UAB shutting down UAB football. It is outsiders who don't have the interests of UAB at heart. If UAB goes quietly and in a few years tries to bring back football they will say "you didn't seem to mind when it was shut down, why do you want it back now?"

So why not fight to get it back immediately while having someone collaborate with them to come up with a long-term plan?

(02-12-2015 11:16 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 09:30 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  The longer UAB Football stays away (i.e. not playing), the better chance of landing a REAL PLAN to bring it back (maybe wait for a stadium, more alumni $$$ for donations maybe for the first time, etc...).

Don't take short cuts or rush back too soon...as everyone knows that without a plan, you are destined to repeat the same mistakes, over and over again.

UAB should come up with a 4-5 year plan...create interest in the program (and/or a new stadium), and after some that missed it over those years (many that probably weren't even donors or season tix holders), much better chance at getting them into the fold.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Bravo.

I agree as well. The only caveat to this is Coach Bill Clark. He definitely wants to be at UAB and run the football program if it is brought back. Many at UAB thinks he is the right man for the program but the question is how long he will wait for the program to be reinstated.

(02-12-2015 11:29 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 11:23 AM)TheEastisPurple Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 11:16 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 09:30 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  The longer UAB Football stays away (i.e. not playing), the better chance of landing a REAL PLAN to bring it back (maybe wait for a stadium, more alumni $$$ for donations maybe for the first time, etc...).

Don't take short cuts or rush back too soon...as everyone knows that without a plan, you are destined to repeat the same mistakes, over and over again.

UAB should come up with a 4-5 year plan...create interest in the program (and/or a new stadium), and after some that missed it over those years (many that probably weren't even donors or season tix holders), much better chance at getting them into the fold.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Bravo.

I don't necessarily disagree but that hinges on the board allowing them to build a stadium and their president not turning people away who are inquiring about making donations. They were trying not to make some of the "mistakes" they made but they weren't allowed to avoid them.

It's also not a case of UAB shutting down UAB football. It is outsiders who don't have the interests of UAB at heart. If UAB goes quietly and in a few years tries to bring back football they will say "you didn't seem to mind when it was shut down, why do you want it back now?"

So why not fight to get it back immediately while having someone collaborate with them to come up with a long-term plan?

Oh...yeah that works. Sorry, I misunderstood what you guys were talking about.

(02-12-2015 12:18 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 11:16 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 09:30 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  The longer UAB Football stays away (i.e. not playing), the better chance of landing a REAL PLAN to bring it back (maybe wait for a stadium, more alumni $$$ for donations maybe for the first time, etc...).

Don't take short cuts or rush back too soon...as everyone knows that without a plan, you are destined to repeat the same mistakes, over and over again.

UAB should come up with a 4-5 year plan...create interest in the program (and/or a new stadium), and after some that missed it over those years (many that probably weren't even donors or season tix holders), much better chance at getting them into the fold.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Bravo.

I agree as well. The only caveat to this is Coach Bill Clark. He definitely wants to be at UAB and run the football program if it is brought back. Many at UAB thinks he is the right man for the program but the question is how long he will wait for the program to be reinstated.

Who knows? I will say that UAB's situation (being under UA-Tuscaloosa's thumb) has always rubbed me the wrong way. I can only imagine how truly irate UAB alumni and fans are.

Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

(02-12-2015 02:53 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

Dont forget wichita state, a school with wins overt louiseville, cincy, tulsa and houston

(02-12-2015 03:12 PM)shere khan Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 02:53 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

Dont forget wichita state, a school with wins overt louisville, cincy, tulsa and houston

Thanks for reminding me, and let's not forget Drake either.

(02-12-2015 12:18 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 11:16 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 09:30 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  The longer UAB Football stays away (i.e. not playing), the better chance of landing a REAL PLAN to bring it back (maybe wait for a stadium, more alumni $$$ for donations maybe for the first time, etc...).

Don't take short cuts or rush back too soon...as everyone knows that without a plan, you are destined to repeat the same mistakes, over and over again.

UAB should come up with a 4-5 year plan...create interest in the program (and/or a new stadium), and after some that missed it over those years (many that probably weren't even donors or season tix holders), much better chance at getting them into the fold.

I couldn't have said this better myself. Bravo.

I agree as well. The only caveat to this is Coach Bill Clark. He definitely wants to be at UAB and run the football program if it is brought back. Many at UAB thinks he is the right man for the program but the question is how long he will wait for the program to be reinstated.

Of equal (if not more) importance, how long will CUSA wait?

(02-12-2015 03:12 PM)shere khan Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 02:53 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

Dont forget wichita state, a school with wins overt louiseville, cincy, tulsa and houston

You are correct and let's not forget Drake and Dayton (dropped to DII) , also.

(02-12-2015 03:39 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 03:12 PM)shere khan Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 02:53 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

Dont forget wichita state, a school with wins overt louiseville, cincy, tulsa and houston

You are correct and let's not forget Drake and Dayton (dropped to DII) , also.

Actually, Chicago brought football back. The Phoenix play in Div. III.

(02-12-2015 03:50 PM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 03:39 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 03:12 PM)shere khan Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 02:53 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

Dont forget wichita state, a school with wins overt louiseville, cincy, tulsa and houston

You are correct and let's not forget Drake and Dayton (dropped to DII) , also.

Actually, Chicago brought football back. The Phoenix play in Div. III.

But was never returned to Big Time Football.

(02-12-2015 03:56 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 03:50 PM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 03:39 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 03:12 PM)shere khan Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 02:53 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

Dont forget wichita state, a school with wins overt louiseville, cincy, tulsa and houston

You are correct and let's not forget Drake and Dayton (dropped to DII) , also.

Actually, Chicago brought football back. The Phoenix play in Div. III.

But was never returned to Big Time Football.

Gotcha. Just be more specific next time, man.

I'm assuming all of those school's who dropped football or dropped to a lower division decided to do so themselves? The decision wasn't made for them by an outside board?

I'm also guessing that the presidents of those schools weren't given a vote of no confidence immediately afterwards.

The one thing that is in common and spured the drops were they all were losing money in great amounts.

(02-12-2015 04:44 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  The one thing that is in common and spured the drops were they all were losing money in great amounts.

UAB football wasn't losing great amounts of money, at least in context of UAB athletics. In UAB football's worst financial years ever the subsidy was 2.5 million. 1.5 million of that is covered by football's proportion of student fees. The program only ever lost that kind of money due to being hamstrung for so long. So there was a 1 million dollar deficit at most, ever. That budget is including the full price of scholarships and other bogus expenses which don't actually cost the university nearly as much as stated. That 1 million dollar savings is going to be gone once CUSA kicks UAB out for not having a football program.

Would you sacrifice a couple million dollars in conference revenue to 'save' one million? Potentially, we're talking more than just CUSA revenue too. UAB won't be able to recruit the same type of athlete for MBB, soccer, etc when they're playing in the Asun and people won't be donating nearly as much to a team in the Asun.

The best part about this is they're using the 'savings' to start a track and field team and a swimming team. Those are some high revenue generators, let me tell you. No extra money projected to be going to the UAB basketball team either, the only other sport that has a chance of being revenue positive.

The UAB situation is incredibly fishy.

Until you get a name and charter change to the University of Birmingham, you will always be Bama's ***** so to speak!

(02-12-2015 03:36 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 03:12 PM)shere khan Wrote:  

(02-12-2015 02:53 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote:  Well, look at the ones who have dropped football. University of Chicago, Holy Cross, Boston University, Marquette, Pacific for examples, none ever came back.

Dont forget wichita state, a school with wins overt louisville, cincy, tulsa and houston

Thanks for reminding me, and let's not forget Drake either.

Drake still plays at the FCS level