Quote:Conference USA has communicated to UAB that the league won't amend its bylaws to keep the Blazers without football, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

UAB dropped football in December and has a study from a consultant expected to be released by May 15 on whether the school made the right decision in cutting the sport. Conference USA's executive committee meets in June and will formally vote on UAB's future. But there is not interest from two-thirds of C-USA's presidents to change the league's bylaws requiring football as a condition of membership.

Assuming UAB doesn't reinstate football for 2016, the school will most likely be a C-USA member for one more academic year in 2015-16, given the short timeframe for the Blazers to find a new home. C-USA is reluctant to kick out UAB and leave its sports without playing schedules.

UAB would not receive a full revenue share next year in C-USA if it stays. UAB is expected to receive about $2.2 to $2.4 million this fiscal year from C-USA. The College Football Playoff is expected to be worth about $800,000 for UAB. C-USA's postseason football revenue increased by about 500 percent this year due to the CFP compared to past revenue from the Bowl Championship Series.

When UAB eliminated football, bowling and rifle in December, the report the university used did not include a financial model accounting for no C-USA revenue. The Missouri Valley Conference has been discussed as a possible home.

UAB president Ray Watts previously appealed to C-USA presidents for the school to remain a member without football. UAB and Southern Mississippi are the only remaining C-USA charter members that have never left.

In a statement released Wednesday, UAB spokesman Jim Bakken said the university has worked closely with Conference USA “and we appreciate the candid and productive dialogue over these months. Out of respect for the process, CUSA and its member institution presidents, it would be inappropriate to speculate on conference affiliation and related issues prior to the June conference meeting when we have yet to see results of the [College Sports Solution) review and private fundraising efforts as we reevaluate the football decision.”

Meanwhile, UAB has identified three candidates to be its next athletic director, as first reported by AL.com: Arkansas senior associate athletic director Jon Fagg; Iowa State senior associate athletic director David Harris; and Temple associate vice president/executive senior associate athletic director Mark Ingram. UAB is in the unusual position of trying to hire a new athletic director before another study is completed about the decision to eliminate the three sports.

“A specific date to have the new AD in place has not yet been determined,” Bakken wrote via email. “Our search committee has identified a number of impressive candidates, and we have been pleased with the quality of applicants. On-campus interviews will conclude in the near future. Once feedback on the candidates is received, we will be in a position to begin negotiations.”

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...t-football

One article said today there is actually no guarantee they would keep us if football is brought back. So, HEY! my Sun Belt brethren.

(04-29-2015 06:31 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  One article said today there is actually no guarantee they would keep us if football is brought back. So, HEY! my Sun Belt brethren.

If UAB's administrators would even accept a Sun Belt bid...you see with a Sun Belt bid, there'd be a place for UAB...in FBS...

Hate to hear that, for UAB.

It's like kicking them while they are down.

(04-29-2015 06:31 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  One article said today there is actually no guarantee they would keep us if football is brought back. So, HEY! my Sun Belt brethren.

Afraid you will be going on to a place where FBS football is not known so that you never get those ideas again.

It's a shame. I hope your fans never give up and make it a constant irritant until you get control of your school's destiny.

I'm not all that excited about the idea of adding UAB (if they would even accept). Football is king and the main thing they are going to bring to the Belt is a lot of message board chatter about how/when is UAB going to bring back football. I think there is decent chance that if they ever get football back up and running that C-USA would bring them back into the fold since they were a founding member. Sure they'd add a strong basketball program (by SBC standards), but that by no means is going to make us anything more than a 1 bid conference. And if I'm being honest, adding them only weakens Ga Southern's chances of going to the NCAA tourney (which is really all I care about in basketball). The fact that they are a bus ride away from most of the conference makes them a good add for olympic sports, but I also think that over time their other sports/recruiting could decline a little without the exposure that a football team brings to a school (this may be especially true for a school in the southeast).

So I guess the ultimatum has been issued by CUSA to UAB-- either announce that you are bringing football back by June 8 or get voted out of the league.

I really hope UAB can restart football but I would think that is a longshot at this point.

(04-29-2015 07:33 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  So I guess the ultimatum has been issued by CUSA to UAB-- either announce that you are bringing football back by June 8 or get voted out of the league.

They don't need to be voted out. The bylaws say to remain a member in good standing, each university must offer a football program. No football? Then you just forfeited your membership. It's really that simple.

The only vote to be taken is how long they'll have to move their furniture and stuff.

(04-29-2015 07:33 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  So I guess the ultimatum has been issued by CUSA to UAB-- either announce that you are bringing football back by June 8 or get voted out of the league.

I really hope UAB can restart football but I would think that is a longshot at this point.

Sadly... It's not even a vote out. It's just announce or you're gone, doesn't matter what anyone would vote (as the vote to change the rules failed, they basically voted UAB out if no football).

I frankly would be surprised if UAB announces that football is returning. I think that ship has sailed.

That said if they are interested I say bring them in to the Belt with or without football.

Ah...no to UAB in SBC. Have had enough of the SBC bashing from their folks. I wish them the best playing in Indiana in the MVC or whatever "better" league they wind up in.

Um I hope the SBC would offer them a home...looks like some hate in this thread

would be a braindead move for the sun belt to not at least try to get UAB.

Instant shot in the arm for basketball.

(04-29-2015 08:07 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-29-2015 07:33 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  So I guess the ultimatum has been issued by CUSA to UAB-- either announce that you are bringing football back by June 8 or get voted out of the league.

They don't need to be voted out. The bylaws say to remain a member in good standing, each university must offer a football program. No football? Then you just forfeited your membership. It's really that simple.

The only vote to be taken is how long they'll have to move their furniture and stuff.

(04-29-2015 08:08 PM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  

(04-29-2015 07:33 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  So I guess the ultimatum has been issued by CUSA to UAB-- either announce that you are bringing football back by June 8 or get voted out of the league.

I really hope UAB can restart football but I would think that is a longshot at this point.

Sadly... It's not even a vote out. It's just announce or you're gone, doesn't matter what anyone would vote (as the vote to change the rules failed, they basically voted UAB out if no football).

I have a copy of and have read the by-laws. There has to be a vote to expel.

(04-29-2015 08:37 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  

(04-29-2015 08:07 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote:  

(04-29-2015 07:33 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  So I guess the ultimatum has been issued by CUSA to UAB-- either announce that you are bringing football back by June 8 or get voted out of the league.

They don't need to be voted out. The bylaws say to remain a member in good standing, each university must offer a football program. No football? Then you just forfeited your membership. It's really that simple.

The only vote to be taken is how long they'll have to move their furniture and stuff.

(04-29-2015 08:08 PM)TheRevSWT Wrote:  

(04-29-2015 07:33 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  So I guess the ultimatum has been issued by CUSA to UAB-- either announce that you are bringing football back by June 8 or get voted out of the league.

I really hope UAB can restart football but I would think that is a longshot at this point.

Sadly... It's not even a vote out. It's just announce or you're gone, doesn't matter what anyone would vote (as the vote to change the rules failed, they basically voted UAB out if no football).

I have a copy of and have read the by-laws. There has to be a vote to expel.

I haven't read the by-laws so I stand corrected.

I mean, result is the same either way. No C-USA.

Going to be an interesting next month or so

Sounds like UAB would prefer MVC over SBC.

We should try to get them. But their admin won't want anything to do with us I am betting because they want to close the door on football completely.

I say we should be proactive and go after USM if UAB leaves CUSA. At that point USM would be in a league that is nothing like the conference they helped start. They have very little history with the majority of the remaining members, and are right in the middle of the SBC. They've had some budget issues recently which could be helped out by having much less travel in the Sun Belt. If there were ever a chance to pull off a major coup this would be it.