UAB IS Sounding Way Too Optimistic About Their Future

((HT: CBS Sports/Solomon))

Jon Solomon wrote another stellar piece on the future of the UAB Athletics program- and their thinking, through the CarrSports Report, is that they'll be fine. But there are a few issues with their report.

The biggest issue is the idea that they'll be retained by Conference USA- which would be a violation of the conference's own by-laws.

From the piece:

UAB is projected to lose roughly $2 million per year in NCAA and Conference USA revenue starting in 2015-16. That includes annual payouts of $900,000 in C-USA TV revenue, $800,000 from the College Football Playoff, and $40,000 in C-USA bowl money. Carr projected a flat $800,000 from the playoff each year even though it's expected the payouts will increase.

The financial projections assume UAB will remain a C-USA member -- a value the study shows is $657,000 annually as a non-football member -- but many people believe that's unlikely to happen since C-USA's current bylaws require playing football for membership. UAB projects $350,000 per year in NCAA men's basketball tournament units from C-USA, $260,000 a year from a C-USA revenue growth supplement, and $40,000 a year from the C-USA men's basketball tournament.

The school seems to be banking on the idea that they can broker the lost football games from 2015 and lessen their make-goods: which, frankly, is a misconceived idea. Any school that might be looking for a 2015 game probably already has a schedule mapped out. And any school that is REALLY looking for a game, probably, can handle their own negotiating.

Thanks for asking, though...

There's nothing in it for the seeker- except doing President Ray Watts a solid.

And that's got to be a small group of Presidents and Athletics Directors...

There is the further assumption that people will return (or new donors will emerge) with football gone. In the south, that would be a rarity indeed. A school that had football that now does not, but will be adding cross country and track and field doesn't seem like a fair swap for donor dollars.

For the record, Solomon says CarrSports got a little under $80,000 for their wisdom using VCU, Wichita State, and the American Athletic Conference as their benchmarks for thought when it comes to UAB's future.

The HQ would think that UAB is destined for a conference like the Atlantic Sun for their sports since they're more interested in saving dollars rather than investing. That latter notion would send them to the American, the Missouri Valley, or the Atlantic-10. But cost-cutting moves like wiping out the band don't give mid-major basketball conferences reasons to be all that enthusiastic about level of competitiveness.

Tommy Spina caught up with former UAB football booster Justin Craft about the demise of the program and what can be done from here- if anything
((HT: CW21/MYTV68 Birmingham))

UAB Bowling Found Out They Were Gone That Morning

((HT: WVTM-TV Birmingham))

The HQ has been chronicling all the asinine maneuvers that the Alabama Board of Trustees has put over on the Alabama-Birmingham Athletic Department- with the help of UAB President Ray Watts.

Sadly, at the Friday on campus rally, head bowling coach Michelle Crews thinks she might have done herself in when she responded to the Carr Sports report.

These are her first comments since the dissolving of her program
Alabamas13.com WVTM-TV Birmingham, AL

The HQ would recommend seeing the team practice at home or catching a tourney in their time left to show your support for them as well...

We hope the all find homes and can represent schools that will support properly.

UAB Has To Add Sports To Stay Division I; More Premeditation Evidence Coming Forward...???

((HT: MyFoxAL/WBRC-TV))

The NCAA requires 14 Division I sports teams (with at least six men's sports) to stay eligible for Division I status. With the football program dissolved, UAB is down to five men's sports. The CarrSports Consulting folks recommended men's cross country and track as the sports to add to stay up on that level.

Staying in Conference USA will remain an uphill fight since their by-laws mandate football for membership.

From the press release that UAB put out with the announcement:

In eliminating football, UAB will be better positioned to invest in programs where the institution can be sustainably competitive on a conference and even national level. Funds from discontinued programs will be redirected to more fully support UAB's priority sports and build those into championship programs.

“We are not looking to reduce the athletic budget, but instead to reallocate our resources to remaining athletic programs,” Watts said. “This strategic plan will give us our best chance to win championships and national prominence. Many of our programs have been on the cusp, and funds redirected from football can propel them to the next level. The best days for UAB Athletics are yet to come.”

The HQ would LOVE to know what sports are a priority on campus in President Watts' view IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA OTHER THAN FOOTBALL!!!

Alan Collins was in front of a group of angry students protesting in front of the admininstration building for another day


John Archibald, in his Al.com column, brings forth more evidence that some combination of the CarrSports folks, the Board of Trustees, and President Watts were in on this for a long time and it had to do with the contract with Legion Field:

The contract in 2010 ran for four years, until the end of UAB's 2013 football season.

But this spring, UAB asked for a different deal. And though it irked some city workers, UAB got what it wanted. A one-year contract to play at Legion Field.

"This Agreement shall have effect for a period of one (1) year beginning at the start of UAB's 2014 football season (July 21, 2014) and ending at the conclusion of UAB's 2014 football season (December 15, 2014)."

Draw your own conclusion there...

And Birmingham Mayor William Bell was told by Watts last week that there was nothing to worry about...

So much for that idea...

Morning Wrap: More Fallout From The Death of UAB Football

---Sigh---

Late Tuesday afternoon, University of Alabama Birmingham president Ray Watts made official what everyone associated with the UAB football program feared was going to happen.

He killed the football program.

We've been following this story all week and are still shaking our heads over this. It makes little to no sense.

Before we begin editorializing though, check out this video of Watts meeting with the team to drop the big one:



There are varying reports explaining why the decision was made, though from what we understand and have been told, the decision was made long ago.

One item used by Watts to justify the decision was a consultant report by CarrSports. The report was done to quantify the cost of keeping or eliminating football.

It never looked into the possibility of dropping to the Football Championship Subdivision, a more cost effective route for smaller Division 1 level athletic programs.

It also makes apparent their was little or no effort put forth to try and justify keeping the program.

Al.com's Kevin Scarbinsky explains why the report was a sham RIGHT HERE

It's amazing to us in the Football crazed state of Alabama that you'd have the 1st Football Bowl Subdivision team to kill a football program since 1994.

There are multiple factors at play--and from what we understand a lot of them are political. The Alabama Board of Trustees (oversee colleges), a board run by mostly University of Alabama grads, are largely to blame here. No, they haven't been reported on but it's no secret they've been trying to do this for years.

Sure, President Watts did little to nothing to stand up for his schools program, but it just exposes him as a puppet. The Blazer program was not a "Profit" center like the Crimson Tide or like Auburn. But they are projected to break even this season for the 1st time in years.

Success helps with that. Bill Clark led the Blazers to a 6-6 record and bowl eligibility for the first time in many years. That helps with revenue.

Several members of the booster club had guarantees of over $5 million to upgrade and update the facilities. Yet they killed the program.

The fact of the matter is many smaller D-1 schools in Football don't make a lot of money. It's why cupcake games exist. The payday helps with the bottom line. A lot.

It's done for publicity. It's done for image. It's done to say you are a "Big Time" university.

If you ask us. The blame for what happened is squarely on Paul Bryant Jr and the rest of the trustees who considered the Blazers a threat. Why we don't know. But consider this:

About a decade ago, the offensive coordinator for LSU was looking for head coaching opportunities. And the UAB job was at the time open. The two sides met, hammered out a tentative deal only to have it scuttled by the board.

That offensive coordinator: FSU Head Coach Jimbo Fisher.

We wonder how much the world would be a different place had the board not stuck their noses in and interfered.

Alabama's 13 in Birmingham talked to UAB students after the announcement:

Alabamas13.com WVTM-TV Birmingham, AL