The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I've never been so proud of a group of students and faculty for standing up for what's right. As a fan who sent a daughter to school there (briefly) I want football to return. However, I think the odds of that happening in the immediate future are iffy.

If that is the case, (God forbid) what is our long term approach? It seems to me one of the most important things we can do for the long term is to raise money to endow the costs of women's sports and "Olympic Sports"

Let me explain what I'm thinking. If we raise money to cover program costs, especially scholarships, we reduce the revenue needed from basketball and hopefully football one day to cover the athletic department's nut. If we are going to be out of the football business for 1-5 years (the ETSU model) the best way to insure football's success upon its return is to eliminate those things that are creating the athletic deficit. With title IX you can't eliminate those programs or should we want to. But permanently funding them means what football and basketball have to cover is manageable

I'm saying this as one who has sworn that UAB will never get a dime of his money and had his lawyer remove UAB from the will (same share as my daughters get). What do y'all think

I removed UAB from my will this week also. I specified a split between athletics and arts and sciences. Now I am bequeathing Mcwane and zoo.

I would re-evaluate things in a few weeks.

I before felt that UAB had deserted me.

Now I feel like an outside source infiltrated UAB that must be removed.

It's a lofty goal. For example, Stanford's entire athletics dept. is endowed, which means every sport (and they have a lot) could play without producing any revenue for perpetuity and it wouldn't matter.

I think the long term view should focus on changing the UA-BOT structure so this can never happen again.

The approach to this goes through the State House. Then it goes to swaying public opinion, since the amendment needs to be approved in general election.

To do this we need a Political Action Committee to pool our money so we can influence politicians to achieve our goals. We need to frame this as more than just about athletics in order to maximize our donor pool.

Contributions that would have been going to Football should go to the PAC. Athletics donations need to fall right now. Donations to UAB need to fall. We need to show that UAB needs football, and not try to prop up whatever scraps they allow us to have. We need enough capital to be able to influence lots of state house elections to whomever supports us.

With the type of money that was promised to UAB football (the millions donors were willing to raise), we could get a powerful interest group going and attempt to counter "the machine" out of UAT. We could run ads on TV, etc. We could actually do it.

Then once we get it done, we could focus on rebuilding athletics.

When the enemy burns down your city, it's not time to invest in your city. It's time to invest in your army.

(12-09-2014 11:44 PM)sadolakced Wrote:  I think the long term view should focus on changing the UA-BOT structure so this can never happen again.

The approach to this goes through the State House. Then it goes to swaying public opinion, since the amendment needs to be approved in general election.

To do this we need a Political Action Committee to pool our money so we can influence politicians to achieve our goals. We need to frame this as more than just about athletics in order to maximize our donor pool.

Contributions that would have been going to Football should go to the PAC. Athletics donations need to fall right now. Donations to UAB need to fall. We need to show that UAB needs football, and not try to prop up whatever scraps they allow us to have. We need enough capital to be able to influence lots of state house elections to whomever supports us.

With the type of money that was promised to UAB football (the millions donors were willing to raise), we could get a powerful interest group going and attempt to counter "the machine" out of UAT. We could run ads on TV, etc. We could actually do it.

Then once we get it done, we could focus on rebuilding athletics.

When the enemy burns down your city, it's not time to invest in your city. It's time to invest in your army.

That is beaitiful

Long term - something has to be done about the BOT. Short term - something has to be done about governance at UAB (I bet you thought I was going to say Watts). That area needs work or the next president may get the idea that he or she can break off another piece of UAB with impunity.