University of Alabama at Birmingham Ends Football Program
This is pretty shocking news. How could they just drop their football program?
Jenny Jarvie of the LA Times reported.
University in Alabama ends football program, angering just about everyone
In the powerhouse world of Alabama college football, the Blazers have long been the scrappy underdog.
This season, there was a turnaround for the University of Alabama at Birmingham: A new coach led the team to six wins, game attendance doubled to more than 20,000, and after a 45-24 victory against Southern Miss, the Blazers became eligible to play in a bowl game for the first time in a decade.
Then it came crashing down.
A few days after that lopsided victory, university President Ray L. Watts announced he was killing the football program, making UAB the first college to drop a Division I football team in nearly 20 years. Five days later, no bowl invitation, either.
“We finally win and our reward is, ‘We’re pulling your team?'” said Ty Long, 21, who kicked a field goal in what turned out to be the Blazers’ final game. “How is that possible in the state of Alabama, where football is the biggest thing?”
Watts said the decision was strictly financial: After spending $20 million each year subsidizing an unsuccessful team, it was time for UAB to cut its losses and put academics before athletics.
The university also cited a projected $22 million needed for football facilities, including a field house, indoor practice facility and a turf field.
“Football is simply not sustainable,” Watts said.
University in Alabama ends football program, angering just about everyone (The LA Times)
Comments
Bet they got plenty of money for the various “Studies” departments, their programs, and the various faculty.
Since those usually have to become required courses to attract enough students, whereas the football team has more applicants than slots – why don’t we get rid of the dead weight of the political crap and keep what the kids and the community wants.
” time for UAB to cut its losses and put academics before athletics.”
The NOIVE of some colleges ! Pretending that they’re actually they’re there to provide EDUCATION, instead of neophyte tryouts for future NFL players !!
Why don’t they just offer more ‘no show’ courses for the team to take instead ?
” why don’t we get rid of the dead weight of the political crap and keep what the kids and the community wants.”
Yeh ! Yeh ! That’s the ticket ! Fuck whether they can read a book (or ever have read one) 4 years later or not !