((ht: alabamas13.com))
It may be a case of too little too late, but it didn't stop over 400 fans, alumni and students from rallying Sunday night on the University of Alabama-Birmingham campus.
They turned out to show support for the football program that according to multiple reports will be shut down this week by the highly politicized state Board of Regents.
For those unaware--the school has been losing money on the program, which has struggled for success the past few seasons.
However, this season, the Blazers, under head coach Bill Clark turned things around, going 6-6 and becoming eligible for a bowl game for the first time in 10-years.
But the board, which is filled with University of Alabama alumni who don't want to deal with UAB doesn't think having a program that is struggling to stay afloat financially is worth it. Reports have surfaced saying they've already fired Athletic Director Brian Mackin and the school has no games scheduled after the 2016 season.
There are multiple things at play here--the truth of the matter is a lot of smaller FBS (Div. 1) teams don't turn or barely turn a profit. But they still remain a part of their respective universities. UAB has lost several million dollars over the past few seasons, but they aren't even in the Top 5 of that category.
It's amazing that in football mad Alabama, a state with no professional sports (no, the Crimson Tide and Auburn don't count), College Football is the only thing most people there live for.
But like everything else southern, it's caught up in politics. And the board is mostly big, rich Alabama boosters who don't want to foot the bill for someone else.
But enough rambling, here's reaction from those who rallied Sunday night and are going to continue rallying on into the week.
Alabamas13.com WVTM-TV Birmingham, AL
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