Framing the argument for UAB football
There have been many efforts made recently to "save the program," from providing talking points, to petitions to sign, to tweets and emails, to impassioned pleas on tv and radio, and before the city council. All those are good, and should be continued. But as long as we allow those who oppose the program to frame the argument about whether UAB football should continue to exist, we don't have a chance.
Inevitably, the discussion from the other side always comes down to whether football makes a profit, including the Governor's uninformed attempt to weigh in this past week. Certainly, there is a need for good financial stewardship and accountability for the program to remain viable, but the primary goal of college athletics is NOT making money. If that be the case more than 75% of D-I football programs should be shut down, not to mention EVERY D-IAA, D-II, and D-III school. And we won't even begin to mention all the "non-revenue" sports.
In our state, UAB happens to be positioned between two of the most profitable football programs in all of college sports. But also numbered among the public universities with D-I and D-II football programs are Troy, South Alabama, Jacksonville State, Alabama A&M, Alabama State, West Alabama and North Alabama, none of which turns a profit. If losing money disqualifies a program from continuing to field a team, then all of those should be shut down as well. But we haven't heard the governor suggest that, now, have we?
On Thursday, I drove through campus on my way to St. Vincent's, and saw an awful lot of activity going on that will not be producing a profit. The new Student Center, being built where the old Hill Center stood until it was recently torn down, will be a great addition to the campus and to student life, but will not be "profitable." The Rec Center is world-class--and I am sure is attractive to prospective students--but I doubt they are making money. For that matter, the multiple libraries on campus, unless they are charging exorbitant fines for late books, are all "in the red." And so too the Greek organizations, and bands, and intramurals, and student government, and on an on.
Using the profit logic, maybe we should shut those down too. Likewise, we can venture to Tuscaloosa and Huntsville and Auburn and Troy, et al., and shut down every building, program, sport, and extra-curricular activity that is not paying for itself. That is, IF the point of higher education is to make money.
UAB is a university, charged with providing an environment for learning and well-rounded growth educationally and socially, in the classroom and out. And, intercollegiate athletics, and college football in particular, is a valuable asset and worthy investment for student life at a college campus, and a proven positive recruiting tool for enrollment. Which is why so many schools around the country are starting football these days, not stopping it.
My point is nothing new to UAB fans, I know, because we basically "get it." It's just those who encircle us, so used to filled 100,000 seat stadiums (for spring games!) and $25 million/year conference tv deals, don't get it. They are the exception, not the norm, not just in our state but around the country. So we must not let them frame an uninformed discussion about the future of UAB football.
My $.02.
(This post was last modified: 11-22-2014 12:14 AM by bftb.)
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