Guarantee it was done with intent to keep a chain around UAB's neck.

UA had an extension campus in Mobile but the argument was made that Mobile needed a public, 4-year degree granting institution. We were just one building and UAT didn't see much harm in allowing us our sandbox, so we were "permitted". We were established in 1963 and started the med school in 1973, so that whole thing wasn't even an issue.

(05-18-2015 04:18 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  Guarantee it was done with intent to keep a chain around UAB's neck.

Absolutely. The BOT does not want UAB enrollment to surpass Alabama which could easily happen considering the location of the two schools. The BOT mark their territory in Birmingham by allowing UAB to grow at their pace while establishing infrastructure in the city.

It is absolutely amazing that a bunch of rich men located in a city 45 mins away dictates what happens in Birmingham. Simply amazing. Do you know that as of right now, there is no professional sports or FBS football in Birmingham and for city with a metropolitan population of over 1.1 million people that is pretty crazy and sad.

(05-18-2015 04:11 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Interesting that the med school is under UAB anyway. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is an independent campus with a chancellor who answers only to the Arkansas System president even though UALR is just across town.

The equation to remember is this....

No UAB Medical school as part of UAT.....probably no AAU membership for Alabama.

(05-18-2015 05:18 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 04:11 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  Interesting that the med school is under UAB anyway. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is an independent campus with a chancellor who answers only to the Arkansas System president even though UALR is just across town.

The equation to remember is this....

No UAB Medical school as part of UAT.....probably no AAU membership for Alabama.

They probably couldn't get it anyway (AAU). Lately they have so liberalized their admissions policies they've basically chosen a different path.

(05-18-2015 05:02 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 04:18 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  Guarantee it was done with intent to keep a chain around UAB's neck.

Absolutely. The BOT does not want UAB enrollment to surpass Alabama which could easily happen considering the location of the two schools. The BOT mark their territory in Birmingham by allowing UAB to grow at their pace while establishing infrastructure in the city.

It is absolutely amazing that a bunch of rich men located in a city 45 mins away dictates what happens in Birmingham. Simply amazing. Do you know that as of right now, there is no professional sports or FBS football in Birmingham and for city with a metropolitan population of over 1.1 million people that is pretty crazy and sad.

More amazing that people in power in government and business in Alabama have no issue with the state being held back from progressing.

(05-18-2015 04:05 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 03:57 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 10:59 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 08:42 AM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 08:31 AM)Chappy Wrote:  If the Blazers are ever able to gain independence from the UA BOT move #1 should be a rebranding campaign.

Go from "UAB" to just "B".

"Birmingham Blazers - Finally got our UA removed"

They will never remove themselves from the UA system without "buying" their medschool from them. UAB is playing a dangerous game because at the end of the day, the UA BoT holds the cards and the purse strings- regardless of whatever public outcry currently exists.

Some one earlier in this thread alluded to removing everything from Birmingham but I'm not sure he realizes that some on the UA BoT want to do exactly that: kill off UAB undergrad and leave only graduate programs. I'd be careful to not encourage that.

Its a standoff. The Medical school has to stay in Birmingham. There's a reason why top medical schools aren't usually located in small, monocultural, cities. To compete on the world stage, you have to be a part of it. Doctors and researchers have spouses, and those spouses need to have an economy where they can work. Tuscaloosa doesn't have enough of an economy to sustain a diverse work culture. And that's just one reason.

Now, I suppose UAT's BOT could take the medical school from UAB and simply run in Birmingham. However, I think that even that would cause problems for the school. The kerfuffle over UAB football would look like a tempest in a teapot compared to the long, loud, and incredibly acrimonious fight that would result if UAT tried to take the med school from UAB.

That's not what I am saying.

The reason "Free UAB" won't happen is because UAT will say "Ok, pay 10 billion (or whatever the economic impact of the med school is) and you're free to go".

The other thing I was saying, is that UAT may one day decide to just completely upend undergraduate studies at UAB and transfer all students to the main campus while leaving only medical and graduate studies at UAB. This has actually been rumored to have been discussed by some UA BoT members.

Its hard to believe they would be that idiotic. Sounds more like just made up rumors. The largest city in the state needs a commuter school. Tuscaloosa is just too far away to effectively serve that purpose.

Hard to believe, yes. The fact, they are that idiotic is why people are up in arms.

(05-18-2015 03:57 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 10:59 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 08:42 AM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 08:31 AM)Chappy Wrote:  If the Blazers are ever able to gain independence from the UA BOT move #1 should be a rebranding campaign.

Go from "UAB" to just "B".

"Birmingham Blazers - Finally got our UA removed"

They will never remove themselves from the UA system without "buying" their medschool from them. UAB is playing a dangerous game because at the end of the day, the UA BoT holds the cards and the purse strings- regardless of whatever public outcry currently exists.

Some one earlier in this thread alluded to removing everything from Birmingham but I'm not sure he realizes that some on the UA BoT want to do exactly that: kill off UAB undergrad and leave only graduate programs. I'd be careful to not encourage that.

Its a standoff. The Medical school has to stay in Birmingham. There's a reason why top medical schools aren't usually located in small, monocultural, cities. To compete on the world stage, you have to be a part of it. Doctors and researchers have spouses, and those spouses need to have an economy where they can work. Tuscaloosa doesn't have enough of an economy to sustain a diverse work culture. And that's just one reason.

Now, I suppose UAT's BOT could take the medical school from UAB and simply run in Birmingham. However, I think that even that would cause problems for the school. The kerfuffle over UAB football would look like a tempest in a teapot compared to the long, loud, and incredibly acrimonious fight that would result if UAT tried to take the med school from UAB.

That's not what I am saying.

The reason "Free UAB" won't happen is because UAT will say "Ok, pay 10 billion (or whatever the economic impact of the med school is) and you're free to go".

The other thing I was saying, is that UAT may one day decide to just completely upend undergraduate studies at UAB and transfer all students to the main campus while leaving only medical and graduate studies at UAB. This has actually been rumored to have been discussed by some UA BoT members.

I posted on the AL site that if BoTs do that? All the students will transfer to other schools in the state or to an out of state for their studies to get away from Alabama. The BoTs at UAT must be very careful about this, or it could really backfire on them, and they could lose students from their own school who are not to thrilled what is going down.

(05-18-2015 04:08 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  They could drastically cut programs and still fulfill that role. I do believe it has been mentioned in passing but doubt it was a serious proposal, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear it become more serious if little bear thinks UAB is getting "too big for their britches"

Cubby Bryant rotates off the board for good in September (mercifully).

Unless of course, he dies before then. He's an old man with reputedly unhealthy habits.

(05-18-2015 04:08 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  They could drastically cut programs and still fulfill that role. I do believe it has been mentioned in passing but doubt it was a serious proposal, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear it become more serious if little bear thinks UAB is getting "too big for their britches"

The rumors I'd heard didn't involve closing any facilities on the current UAB location, but rather doing away with the UAB name and administration and making it a satellite campus of UAT. It would still offer all the same undergraduate and graduate programs, the degrees would would simply say they were issued from the University of Alabama.
However, any truth I might have thought were in those rumors was diminished quite a bit when Haase got his new contract. I just don't see that contract getting authorized if they intend to fold the entire athletic department in the near future.

Indiana Southeast (New Albany, IN) offers the same degrees as the main campus in Bloomington, and they have their own athletic program.

(05-18-2015 05:39 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 03:57 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 10:59 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 08:42 AM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 08:31 AM)Chappy Wrote:  If the Blazers are ever able to gain independence from the UA BOT move #1 should be a rebranding campaign.

Go from "UAB" to just "B".

"Birmingham Blazers - Finally got our UA removed"

They will never remove themselves from the UA system without "buying" their medschool from them. UAB is playing a dangerous game because at the end of the day, the UA BoT holds the cards and the purse strings- regardless of whatever public outcry currently exists.

Some one earlier in this thread alluded to removing everything from Birmingham but I'm not sure he realizes that some on the UA BoT want to do exactly that: kill off UAB undergrad and leave only graduate programs. I'd be careful to not encourage that.

Its a standoff. The Medical school has to stay in Birmingham. There's a reason why top medical schools aren't usually located in small, monocultural, cities. To compete on the world stage, you have to be a part of it. Doctors and researchers have spouses, and those spouses need to have an economy where they can work. Tuscaloosa doesn't have enough of an economy to sustain a diverse work culture. And that's just one reason.

Now, I suppose UAT's BOT could take the medical school from UAB and simply run in Birmingham. However, I think that even that would cause problems for the school. The kerfuffle over UAB football would look like a tempest in a teapot compared to the long, loud, and incredibly acrimonious fight that would result if UAT tried to take the med school from UAB.

That's not what I am saying.

The reason "Free UAB" won't happen is because UAT will say "Ok, pay 10 billion (or whatever the economic impact of the med school is) and you're free to go".

The other thing I was saying, is that UAT may one day decide to just completely upend undergraduate studies at UAB and transfer all students to the main campus while leaving only medical and graduate studies at UAB. This has actually been rumored to have been discussed by some UA BoT members.

I posted on the AL site that if BoTs do that? All the students will transfer to other schools in the state or to an out of state for their studies to get away from Alabama. The BoTs at UAT must be very careful about this, or it could really backfire on them, and they could lose students from their own school who are not to thrilled what is going down.

You don't understand the "Machine" mentality. They don't care what they destroy so long as they're on top. Even if their pile is smaller than it would be otherwise. Just so long as no one has a pile bigger than them.

Actually many students who attend UAB cannot afford or cannot due to family/work considerations to simply move elsewhere. It would just hurt the greater Birmingham community by a less educated workforce.

And you have to understand this within the context of an environment where the suburbs openly hate Birmingham (for political and cultural reasons). And where the suburban voters hold most of the power levers.

You see this also in Memphis, New Orleans, and Detroit. The center cities get hurt - badly. But it does the suburbs few favors. Businesses just don't come there. Businesses simply expand elsewhere and then quietly move the white collar jobs away - often 5-10 years later. But that's well after the next primary. Birmingham isn't as bad as Memphis, New Orleans, or Detroit....but the same dynamic is at play here.

(05-19-2015 11:44 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  Indiana Southeast (New Albany, IN) offers the same degrees as the main campus in Bloomington, and they have their own athletic program.

Of course it can be set up that way, but I doubt that is what the BOT would want. They would be looking for one huge University of Alabama spread across two cities.

My guess is the pro Tuscaloosa side wants to reduce UAB and UAH to a school like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_...n–Dearborn

where the sports teams might be d2 at best with the same colors/mascot etc. UM flint has no sports teams

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ss...t_s_9.html

(05-19-2015 12:42 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 05:39 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 03:57 PM)Tiguar Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 10:59 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-18-2015 08:42 AM)Tiguar Wrote:  They will never remove themselves from the UA system without "buying" their medschool from them. UAB is playing a dangerous game because at the end of the day, the UA BoT holds the cards and the purse strings- regardless of whatever public outcry currently exists.

Some one earlier in this thread alluded to removing everything from Birmingham but I'm not sure he realizes that some on the UA BoT want to do exactly that: kill off UAB undergrad and leave only graduate programs. I'd be careful to not encourage that.

Its a standoff. The Medical school has to stay in Birmingham. There's a reason why top medical schools aren't usually located in small, monocultural, cities. To compete on the world stage, you have to be a part of it. Doctors and researchers have spouses, and those spouses need to have an economy where they can work. Tuscaloosa doesn't have enough of an economy to sustain a diverse work culture. And that's just one reason.

Now, I suppose UAT's BOT could take the medical school from UAB and simply run in Birmingham. However, I think that even that would cause problems for the school. The kerfuffle over UAB football would look like a tempest in a teapot compared to the long, loud, and incredibly acrimonious fight that would result if UAT tried to take the med school from UAB.

That's not what I am saying.

The reason "Free UAB" won't happen is because UAT will say "Ok, pay 10 billion (or whatever the economic impact of the med school is) and you're free to go".

The other thing I was saying, is that UAT may one day decide to just completely upend undergraduate studies at UAB and transfer all students to the main campus while leaving only medical and graduate studies at UAB. This has actually been rumored to have been discussed by some UA BoT members.

I posted on the AL site that if BoTs do that? All the students will transfer to other schools in the state or to an out of state for their studies to get away from Alabama. The BoTs at UAT must be very careful about this, or it could really backfire on them, and they could lose students from their own school who are not to thrilled what is going down.

You don't understand the "Machine" mentality. They don't care what they destroy so long as they're on top. Even if their pile is smaller than it would be otherwise. Just so long as no one has a pile bigger than them.

Actually many students who attend UAB cannot afford or cannot due to family/work considerations to simply move elsewhere. It would just hurt the greater Birmingham community by a less educated workforce.

And you have to understand this within the context of an environment where the suburbs openly hate Birmingham (for political and cultural reasons). And where the suburban voters hold most of the power levers.

You see this also in Memphis, New Orleans, and Detroit. The center cities get hurt - badly. But it does the suburbs few favors. Businesses just don't come there. Businesses simply expand elsewhere and then quietly move the white collar jobs away - often 5-10 years later. But that's well after the next primary. Birmingham isn't as bad as Memphis, New Orleans, or Detroit....but the same dynamic is at play here.

Yeah. But I am saying that they can wind up destroying themselves in the process.

Tweet from MTSU's AD, as today is the UAB day of reckoning.

Quote:Chris Massaro‏@ChrisMassaroAD
Fingers are crossed that UAB announces return to FB today. Respect that it is an institutional decision but would hate to lose them.

Pretty strong indication that without football, they will be expelled from CUSA.

(06-01-2015 10:26 AM)CommuterBob Wrote:  Tweet from MTSU's AD, as today is the UAB day of reckoning.

Quote:Chris Massaro‏@ChrisMassaroAD
Fingers are crossed that UAB announces return to FB today. Respect that it is an institutional decision but would hate to lose them.

Pretty strong indication that without football, they will be expelled from CUSA.

We'll find out on Tuesday.

Looks like he'll actually hold a press conference:

Anna Montgomery ‏@annaelizabeth12 · 27m27 minutes ago
#UAB President, Ray Watts will hold press conference this afternoon sometime between 1 and 6 to announce final football decision. #FreeUAB

so do we think a press conference is good or bad here? I kind of think good for keeping football.

(06-01-2015 10:46 AM)stever20 Wrote:  so do we think a press conference is good or bad here? I kind of think good for keeping football.

Knowing Alabama it'll leak out...

(06-01-2015 10:50 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(06-01-2015 10:46 AM)stever20 Wrote:  so do we think a press conference is good or bad here? I kind of think good for keeping football.

Knowing Alabama it'll leak out...

I think the same could be said at most places quite frankly.

4pm presser (guess that's central time, so 5pm et).