12/22/24
December 02, 2014
Bye-bye Blazers:: The University of Alabama at Birmingham has shut down its football program, becoming the first Football Bowl Subdivision level team to do so since 1995.
From rcade's second link:
And the second time, Little Bear's Board stopped UAB from hiring the coach it wanted because, presumably, the coach UAB wanted -- Jimbo Fisher -- might also be wanted by Alabama.Oh, how different the world might be...
And that was in 2006, when Alabama was, at best, only slightly relevant.
On the sportstalk yesterday, they were saying that Alabama has never played UAB, specifically because Lii'l Bear wouldn't allow it. He had a mad on for that program for years.
posted by Etrigan at 08:57 PM on December 02, 2014
The scene at UAB after the announcement.
"Fine, we'll keep the football program. All we need to do is make sure that the budget is covered each season. To do this, we'll have every student pay an extra $1200 in tuition a year. Is everyone okay with that? Hello? Are you there?"
posted by grum@work at 11:37 PM on December 02, 2014
I've been at a university after it killed its football program, attending UT-Arlington in the late '80s. It is an enormous downer for school spirit. One of the reasons I was glad to leave was because it felt like a commuter school nobody cared about, which robs you of one of the pleasures of the college experience. It was much better at North Texas, though at the time we played in what is now the FCS.
UAB claims it won't be saving any money with this move, putting the same money into the remaining sports. I have trouble believing they couldn't save football if UA wanted it saved.
posted by rcade at 08:21 AM on December 03, 2014
The scene at UAB after the announcement. There's a terrible history of the University of Alabama and Paul Bear Bryant Jr. intentionally doing things to hurt UAB football.