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 Sends Out FAQ On The Numbers, Still Doesn't Add Up...

((HT: ESPN))

First and foremost, the four-letter addressed the dissolving of the football program at UAB over the weekend- and, pretty much, exposed President Ray Watts as getting caught in his word choice in his part of the interview.

Here's the piece from Gene Wojeciechowski


Hire, Craft, and Jimmy Filler have maintained all along they were never asked about contributing to save the program when they had pledges on hand to work forward in a solution to save the squad.

Yet UAB continues to poke the bear- on their own website:

WHAT ABOUT SATURDAY’S ESPN GAMEDAY STORY WHICH CONTENDED THAT UAB OFFICIALS NEVER MET WITH TOP DONORS AND REJECTED A $5 MILLION CERTIFIED CHECK? IS THAT ACCURATE?

We understand that some of our alumni are frustrated with this decision, but making false statements designed to further inflame the situation is extremely unfair to everyone, including the players. We met with our biggest donors before we made this decision, and also studied past and current giving. The financial support was simply not there. A $5 million certified check was not presented to us, let alone a commitment for the $50 million that would be required to sustain football over the next five years.

While they claim they met with their biggest donors, Hire, Craft, and Filler don't come forward and agree with that assessment. The $5-million was a pledge and not a check-in-hand so we see where the school is in that crafted remark.

The HQ would wholeheartedly disagree with the notion in this paragraph:

WHAT ROLE DID THE UA SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLAY IN THIS DECISION? DID ANYONE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ENCOURAGE OR PRESSURE UAB TO DO THIS?

This decision was UAB’s to make just as in all other parts of our university‐wide strategic planning process. This decision was the product of a campus wide strategic review, and involved months of research, data collection and analysis. We referred to current and future financial data. We consulted highly knowledgeable experts and advisors from CarrSports Consulting to inform our planning. All signs pointed to the same decision – football is not sustainable in a model that best protects the financial future and prominence of the athletics department.

What could be more prominent in the state of Alabama than a football program...???

Just asking...

Kevn Scarbinsky caught up with Filler who called out Watts on AL.com

Filler said Saturday that neither Watts nor anyone from his office contacted him after either announcement, and it's not as if Filler is a stranger to Watts. Filler said that shortly before Watts became the UAB president, the two men met to discuss a fund-raising project. Watts wanted Filler to help raise money for a $40 million heart rehabilitation center that would include coaches' offices, Filler said.

"They know who I am," Filler said. "They just wanted to kill the football program."

Here's CBS42's look at President Watts presser and his word choice