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

http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/fro...orn/nRsqr/

The school saw falling enrollment for a dozen years, Simmons said. This spring, as workers finished the updates tothe renamed Provost-Umphrey Stadium and athletic department complex, Lamar had a record enrollment of 11,000.

Watts is so out of touch of reality. The UA BOT, on the other hand, knows football is good for a university and doesn't want what's best for UAB.

This makes me sick. Everyone is getting in on football while we throw it away

Someone needs to staple this to Watts' door.

(12-12-2014 04:22 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  Someone needs to staple this to Watts' door.

If they could get past the sentries, guard dogs, and laser intruder detection system...

(12-12-2014 03:48 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/fro...orn/nRsqr/

The school saw falling enrollment for a dozen years, Simmons said. This spring, as workers finished the updates tothe renamed Provost-Umphrey Stadium and athletic department complex, Lamar had a record enrollment of 11,000.

First let me say that I definitely want to see UAB field a football team again. However, much of Lamar's ability to increase enrollment is due to building new dorms and improving the campus. Lamar is in a horrible location, right across the street from a chemical plant and refinery. I moved to Beaumont, Texas the year after Lamar cancelled its program. There were lots of complaints throughout the community and there was talk for 20 years about renewing it. Lamar had former greats such as Bubba Smith and Bum Philips that played for them. Lamar is mainly a commuter school and doesn't get much fan support from students. The team has continued to improve since the team began again, however attendance remains low. Like UAB, Lamar built an on campus basketball stadium after having several successful runs in the NCAA tournament under Billy Tubbs. It seats over 10,000, but I have been to games recently where there were only a few hundred. You could literally hear the buzz from the lights in the building.

With all that said, I wouldn't use Lamar as my poster child for increased athletic support. However, Lamar is an example of a university bringing back a football team. The main lesson to be learned from Lamar is that it takes a lot of hard work to restore something taken away. It took them 20 years. The other lesson is that students and alumni need to continue to support programs. The worst thing that could happen is that UAB reinstates its program and no one shows up to the games. I attend UAB basketball games whenever I'm in Birmingham and am always disappointed in the crowds. Growing up in Birmingham, I remember when 17,000 would attend games at the BJCC.