And, no, this isn’t about Mark Richt versus Nick Saban.
But for something like this to happen to, say, Georgia Southern, GSU’s board of trustees would have to be populated by the likes of one of Vince Dooley’s sons and Don Leeburn. And that’s not something you’re likely to see anywhere else.
That should tell you how much things are politically rigged in favor of ‘Bama and its football program.
Get The Picture 
Anyone thinking one of CMR’s assistants is going to take a job as HC and be a big success elsewhere needs to check the history. Callaway at UAB and BVG’s one-and-done fiasco at GSU don’t inspire much confidence.
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Wow. That didn’t take long.
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And then you have Jimbo Fisher and Jim McElwain on one hand and Will Muschamp and Derek Dooley on the other. All four former Saban assistants given the opportunity to run their own programs. I think this history tells us one thing: if you hire Kirby Smart you better not wear orange or be the state university of a state with three syllables. If you wear maroon or green and are a “____ State University” though you’ll do ok and probably win a national championship in 2013. I’m sure some enterprising AD out there is getting a time machine and a new color scheme. Of course, the controlling factor may be the first name. Perhaps going to “Jimmy Smart” would be a good career move.
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I like your style W Cobb Dawg.
Just get it out there.
who cares if it is off topic…just get the dig in…did it take you all morning to think of it or did it hit you at lunch?
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Off topic? I clicked the link “this” and it took me to UAB dropping their football program. Callaway left UGA to coach …..here it comes….. UAB! Fast forward to UABs football team’s demise into oblivion.
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I love lamp. There I said it. Feels good.
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Wow. The Alabama Yacht Club strikes again.
Sphincters in the loveliest village on the plains just got a little tight.
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What becomes of Legion Field now too?
UAB may be more of a cautionary tale for jumping so quickly from I-AA to the big leagues
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Off topic here but related to the conversation we were having in the S&C post. This was in an article from the Mayo Clinic today about ACL injuries. From what I read we are already doing a lot of this type of stuff.
Prevention
By Mayo Clinic Staff
To reduce your chance of an ACL injury, follow these tips:
Improve your conditioning. Training programs that have been shown to be effective in helping to reduce the risk of ACL injuries typically include strengthening and stability exercises, aerobic conditioning, plyometric exercises, “jump training,” and risk-awareness training. Exercises that improve balance also can help when done in conjunction with other training exercises.
Strengthen your hamstrings. Women athletes in particular should make sure to strengthen their hamstring muscles as well as their quadriceps.
Use proper techniques. If your sport involves jumping, learn how to land safely. Studies have shown that if your knee collapses inward when you land from a jump, you are more likely to sustain an ACL injury. Technique training along with strengthening of some of the hip muscles can help to reduce this risk.
Check your gear. In downhill skiing, make sure your ski bindings are adjusted correctly by a trained professional so that your skis will release appropriately when you fall.
Wearing a knee brace has not been found to be helpful in preventing ACL injuries.
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Not true. Muckraker said so himself, and he’s an expert in S&C.
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Swing low, Alabama.
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I don’t really understand the connection here. Are you saying that AL had UAB shut down? Why?
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I don’t know the principals well enough to say why, but there’s little doubt of a clear history of pro-‘Bama folks holding the UAB program back, going back to refusing to offer the HC job to Jimbo Fisher on acceptable terms, even though he made it clear he wanted it.
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Why would Bama supporters want to hold UAB back? They’d have to go a long way to grow into that level of competition. Is it just about recruiting?
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It’s one less piglet at the trough of in-state talent.
Recall that Bear was notorious for recruiting players & loading up his roster with guys that would never start for Alabama but would, therefore, never star at a nearby lesser school.
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Precisely.
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Bottom line BearBryant was “disrespected” by UAB. He never let it go. TheBear’s son sits on board that controls the $. He carries his fathers torch & took the opportunity to end football at UAB.
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Bear was dead before UAB athletics started to grow, This vendatta is purely his son’s. Their athletic failure was a self fulfilling effort for 20 years.
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I have a Masters from UAB and am still on the email list. This just went out:
Dear UAB Family,
More than a year ago, UAB began the largest, most comprehensive strategic planning process in the university’s history. Designed to identify areas of excellence and set priorities for investment and growth, this strategic review has empowered leaders across campus to think critically about how to best invest resources and position UAB as a premier and sustainable institution for the future.
Today, we announced results of the Athletic Department’s strategic planning process. In order for us to more effectively reinvest in athletic programs that are most likely to bring growth, prolonged success and national prominence to UAB, the 2014-2015 academic year will be the final season for UAB football, bowling and rifle.
After an extensive review of current and future financial data, it became clear that, despite noteworthy success this season under Coach Bill Clark, investments in football were unlikely to produce a sustainable return relative to the required investment. This is especially the case with the rapidly evolving NCAA landscape and the soaring costs associated with maintaining a competitive team.
UAB already subsidizes $20 million of the roughly $30 million annual Athletic Department budget, which is the fifth-largest budget and subsidy in Conference USA. We will continue to support Athletics at this level, which amounts to an institutional investment of at least $100 million over the next five years. According to expert analysis by CarrSports Consulting, UAB would have to substantially increase our operating budget and our capital investments in facilities to support an Athletic Department that fields a competitive Conference USA football team.
The difference between our future Athletic Department with and without football is an additional $49 million investment on top of the $100 million UAB will already invest in Athletics in the next five years. From an operating budget standpoint alone, the difference between the scenario in which we maintain a competitive Conference USA football program and eliminate it is more than $27 million over the next five years. This does not include additional needed capital investments of $22 million for football facilities alone. These capital projects would include a field house, an indoor practice facility and a turf field, but not a stadium.
We have considered many options to fill this financial gap, including through philanthropic support; but our informed analysis of current and past support and interest concluded that the gap is simply too wide.
It would be fiscally irresponsible and virtually impossible to keep pace with these growing financial demands without sacrificing the financial health and sustainability of Athletics, or redirecting funds from other critical areas of importance, like education, research, patient care or student services.
This decision is not about cutting the Athletics budget, but instead is about reallocating resources to more fully support and reinvest in athletic programs in which we have an opportunity to achieve a high level of success. Many of our programs have been on the cusp, and redirecting funds from football can propel them to the next level.
With this strategy, I am confident that UAB’s best days for Athletics are ahead. But the coming days and months will be difficult for those most affected. We couldn’t be more proud of how well our student-athletes and coaches have represented the institution, even in the midst of recent, very regrettable distractions. They have earned our respect and appreciation, which makes this necessary financial decision all the more difficult.
I have met with impacted student-athletes and coaches, and will meet with others affected. It is my top priority to make this transition as easy as possible. We will honor scholarships for those who choose to stay at UAB beyond this season, and we will honor coaches’ contracts. When a program is discontinued, per NCAA bylaws, players who decide to leave UAB to play elsewhere will not be required to sit out of competition the following season.
To those who are losing something they hold dear with this decision, I am truly sorry. I know many are saddened by this news. As a Birmingham native, a sports fan, and a UAB graduate who loves this university and its people, I am among those disappointed in the necessity of this decision. While it is the right one for the financial future of UAB Athletics and UAB as a whole, it is an agonizing one to make.
I know many will be interested in following developments during this transition. For more information, and updates as they become available, I encourage you to visit http://www.uab.edu/athleticsplan.
Very sincerely,
Ray Watts
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“While it is the right one for the financial future of UAB Athletics and UAB as a whole, it is an agonizing one to make.”
Not only that, the meetings Ray had to sit through leading to the downfall were excruciating
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Dude you are one talented Dawg!☺️
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They cut BOWLING!? Oh the humanity…..
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Ahh Master YODA, wise in the ways of the world you are.
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Did Bama ever deign to play UAB?
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I think UAB won’t be the last school to give up on football. Unlike CBB, which allowed a lot of smaller programs to ride the popularity of the sport (and much smaller scholarship requirement) to solvent programs (or solvent enough), conference consolidation and media deals leave no oxygen in the room for a lot of smaller programs.
Seriously, where does (UAB) football make enough money to even come close to break even? Ever? Feel free to substitute a lot of other schools in those brackets, I would think.
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This comment right here is the one that highlights the unintended consequence of the brave new world of college sports especially a high cost sport like football.
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Don Leeburn is on the BOR. You know, just so you know.
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This might have a little something with academics and size. After a quick google search it appears that UAB’s average SAT is a bit higher than Bama’s plus they have the Medical School. I know it sounds nuts, but Bryant Jr referred to UAB as a Vanderbilt of their conference.
Maybe PHDawg can tell me if I need to lay off the brown liquor when I google. 😉
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Well, not to brag here, but my program was rated #2 in the country last year. I think number one was Johns Hopkins. Also, several of the professors I had are leaders in their research fields. But, for someone who has a degree in History from the University of Georgia and hobnobbed with the likes of John Inscoe, Jim Cobb, Emory Thomas, etc, that ain’t no thang. 😄
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