PTBlazer
2nd String
Posts: 448
Joined: Dec 2014
Reputation: 2
I Root For: UAB, UofA
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RE: Bill for returning football was a good move
(02-15-2015 02:34 PM)rook360 Wrote: (02-15-2015 01:21 PM)PTBlazer Wrote: The resistance against the reorganization by AU goes deeper than AUM, and the resistance is also is much more widespread among the higher education community than just Auburn. The fear is that if the legislature begins meddling with the UA BOT, it will meddle in other Trustee Boards as well. As it stands now there is really no significant oversight (depending on how aggressive the sitting Governor chooses to be) on a statewide basis into how various public Universities (AU, UA, USA, Troy, UNA, UWA, JSU, ASU, AA&M, etc) are governed. The fear among University Administrators is that this will lead to a lot of questions and a possible "University System of Alabama" which none of them want. Right now, the University Presidents are running pretty much their own fiefdoms, and have autonomy they are NOT interested in giving up.
ATTALABLAZE, all I can say about my source is that he is a full time lobbyist who gets paid way too much money to know what is going on in Montgomery. I'm more confident in what I'm hearing from him that anything else I've heard and passed on. Again, you can believe it or not, and I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I think maybe I shouldn't pass anything along, because it causes dissension and anger sometimes. I personally wish they'd tear the entire thing down Tuesday morning, but that is not what I'm told is likely to happen.
FNblazer, the idea of FCS is that it is much less expensive than FBS. There are also a'holes on the board who still believe UAB needs to "prove" it deserves football at all. Again, this is a vocal but minority group on the BOT. The other point is that it is a "compromise" position with those who say they can't justify the cost, and those who want it all (OCS, Watts gone, BOT realignment, etc.). This group wants to tie two major football issues (return to FBS and OCS) to season ticket sales, paid attendance, and outside (UAB and City) funding. All of this is why I am concerned but hopeful there are real conversations going on with the UAB FF group and the Committee. That's what I'm hearing from my contact.
Hope this is helpful. Again, I might just stay quiet from now on. I'm not sure this is helpful, and just stirs up anger. I don't want that.
Bentley already meddled with ASU, Auburn has its history with SACS and Lowder, so this meddling they are afraid of has already happened and warranted. What else has your lobbyist friend said.
Whatever happened with ASU I don't think it rises to the level of disbanding/restructuring a Board of Trustees, or giving UAB autonomy. Frankly, I don't really know what you're talking about. It was that insignificant. I do know they've got an on campus stadium we would kill for. The Auburn situation was independent of the Governor's office as far as I know.
I'm not going to argue anything with you, and I certainly get the implied message from a few other posters above. I will say that it is apparent that Bentley was so far out of the loop on killing football that he actually knew nothing about it even the day before it happened ( "Hopefully it's going to survive, and I'm going to find out some more information about the situation over the next day or two."). Then when he was clued in by the BOT changed his tune the next day ("The decision to end the football program at UAB is President Watts' decision, and I respect his authority as UAB President. He has a strong vision for the future of UAB, and I look forward to the great things that await the University in research, academics and athletics.")
Governor Bentley is very weak politically, a nice man, but that's about it. If you are waiting for him to do anything to cross the BOT you will wait a very long time.
My opinion, based on what I understand from people with deep legislative connections and who I have reason to trust is that the deck is stacked against anything other than the restoration of football. I might be wrong, but there is no evidence of anything different. The reality is that the structure of the BOT reflects and the BOT themselves view UAB as a part of the UofA, and not an independent entity. The Alabama University System Trustee representation, according to the self sustaining Board is based on alumni. There are more living alumni of UofA in the cities of Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery than there are UAB alumni in the world. As long as that is the case, that is not likely to change.
It doesn't hurt Jack Williams politically to wave the banner for UAB autonomy. In fact, it might be helpful if Chip MacCallum decides to run against him again, but if he doesn't know he's pushing a rope he is delusional. I think instead of investing in some level of pipe dream that the legislature is going to start wearing green and gold, when they (and their fathers, and their father's fathers before them) have worn Crimson and White and Orange and Blue for over 150 years, it would be better for someone to go the Federal Court route. I'm beginning to think that would be the only route to some results.
(This post was last modified: 02-15-2015 05:07 PM by PTBlazer.)
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