When is the decision about UAB going to be made? Also, is there a timeline as to when we will know who/if there will be a new school added to the CUSA?

(03-22-2015 10:18 AM)southernduke Wrote:  When is the decision about UAB going to be made? Also, is there a timeline as to when we will know who/if there will be a new school added to the CUSA?

No idea, but I fully expect them to punt the decision down the road.

CUSA might not add at all, as UTEP has been open about their desire to be in the MWC. If UAB is kicked out, and UTEP leaves, CUSA is at 12.

Wasn't there a thought that UAB might join the Colonial? Would be a good addition in men's basketball.

(03-22-2015 12:38 PM)Dukes84 Wrote:  Wasn't there a thought that UAB might join the Colonial? Would be a good addition in men's basketball.

There was, but IMO I don't think that would happen. If anything, I think UAB will end up as a non-football member of the Sun Belt, like Arkansas-Little Rock.

(03-22-2015 10:18 AM)southernduke Wrote:  When is the decision about UAB going to be made? Also, is there a timeline as to when we will know who/if there will be a new school added to the CUSA?

Heard they were giving them until June 1st. JMU does not want to address the situation until it presents itself.

The next chapter of the UAB saga will likely begin after the conference meetings in June.

I imagine that the conference will give UAB a probationary period to get football started again. We'll see.

(03-22-2015 07:35 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  I imagine that the conference will give UAB a probationary period to get football started again. We'll see.

And in the meantime their recruiting would get destroyed, much like it did for Towson baseball.

(03-22-2015 07:46 PM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  

(03-22-2015 07:35 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  I imagine that the conference will give UAB a probationary period to get football started again. We'll see.

And in the meantime their recruiting would get destroyed, much like it did for Towson baseball.

I am 99% sure they will have to begin at the FCS level for at least 2 years. Therefore, the earliest they could be playing in conference games with CUSA will be 2018 (no play in 2015, FCS in 2016 and 2017). Now, when this is realized, will CUSA wait that long?

(03-22-2015 07:46 PM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  

(03-22-2015 07:35 PM)ODUBB35 Wrote:  I imagine that the conference will give UAB a probationary period to get football started again. We'll see.

And in the meantime their recruiting would get destroyed, much like it did for Towson baseball.

Eh, this is worse. They literally have to start from scratch. All they have now is a head coach fighting for and hoping they bring it back. The assistants and players are all gone. They will essentially be a start-up. If it does happen, hopefully it will be in a new stadium and out from under the UA BOT. Otherwise, they will be doomed to fail.

I think Watts and the BOT will keep with their decision and UAB will go to the MVC (they are already talking). And their tourney win over Iowa State may make that sell easier. CUSA would be down to 13 teams. And with the Hawaii situation probably making an opening in the MWC, it will be 12 once UTEP bolts.

The mvc conference? I get that their basketball may be of modest value, and the mvc would want to make themselves a consistent multi bid conference, but that makes zero sense geographically.
Then again, nothing has made sense there throughout realignment. Is there enough money there for them to justify their travel costs?

I think that it's pointless for UAB to restart their team. Let's be honest, they had little support before their "study" and will likely not have much support playing FCS ball for 3 seasons and getting demolished in FBS for another two or three (at minimum).

At this point, they should just invest heavily in men's bball (solid program already) and baseball. I would think the Sun Belt wouldn't hesitate to take them for olympic sports, especailly since it's likely that Idaho and New Mexico State's days in that conference are likely numbered.

ADAD, Coach Clark is a dynamic coach who made that team bowl-eligible in his first year on the job. Poor fan support is only somewhat valid as an on-campus stadium that wasn't a condemned building (Legion Field) would have helped in a big way. The Alabama system BOT literally worked actively to hold down the UAB program whether it was rejecting proposals for a stadium or rejecting the hiring of Jimbo Fisher as HC. I think your opinion is only taking into account the facts at the surface. There's so much more to their fight for football than meets the eye. The entire BOT except ONE are Alabama-Tuscaloosa alums with direct ties to the Bryant family & there's public record of Paul Bryant Jr.'s negative opinion of UAB Athletics' existence. It's REALLY UGLY when you peel back to see the details.

(03-23-2015 09:57 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  ADAD, Coach Clark is a dynamic coach who made that team bowl-eligible in his first year on the job. Poor fan support is only somewhat valid as an on-campus stadium that wasn't a condemned building (Legion Field) would have helped in a big way. The Alabama system BOT literally worked actively to hold down the UAB program whether it was rejecting proposals for a stadium or rejecting the hiring of Jimbo Fisher as HC. I think your opinion is only taking into account the facts at the surface. There's so much more to their fight for football than meets the eye. The entire BOT except ONE are Alabama-Tuscaloosa alums with direct ties to the Bryant family & there's public record of Paul Bryant Jr.'s negative opinion of UAB Athletics' existence. It's REALLY UGLY when you peel back to see the details.

Well said. And with that dilapidated building, Clark's team saw a boost in attendance. I think they could be a strong program with an on-campus stadium and a BOT that isn't impeding any and all progress.

(03-23-2015 09:57 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  ADAD, Coach Clark is a dynamic coach who made that team bowl-eligible in his first year on the job. Poor fan support is only somewhat valid as an on-campus stadium that wasn't a condemned building (Legion Field) would have helped in a big way. The Alabama system BOT literally worked actively to hold down the UAB program whether it was rejecting proposals for a stadium or rejecting the hiring of Jimbo Fisher as HC. I think your opinion is only taking into account the facts at the surface. There's so much more to their fight for football than meets the eye. The entire BOT except ONE are Alabama-Tuscaloosa alums with direct ties to the Bryant family & there's public record of Paul Bryant Jr.'s negative opinion of UAB Athletics' existence. It's REALLY UGLY when you peel back to see the details.

yea...and evidence released this morning proves that the decision to kill football was made before the 2014 season.

This is old school cronyism. UAB fans certainly didn't support the program, but I understand how hard it must have been to support a program that had to beg/borrow/steal for everything.

(03-23-2015 09:57 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  ADAD, Coach Clark is a dynamic coach who made that team bowl-eligible in his first year on the job. Poor fan support is only somewhat valid as an on-campus stadium that wasn't a condemned building (Legion Field) would have helped in a big way. The Alabama system BOT literally worked actively to hold down the UAB program whether it was rejecting proposals for a stadium or rejecting the hiring of Jimbo Fisher as HC. I think your opinion is only taking into account the facts at the surface. There's so much more to their fight for football than meets the eye. The entire BOT except ONE are Alabama-Tuscaloosa alums with direct ties to the Bryant family & there's public record of Paul Bryant Jr.'s negative opinion of UAB Athletics' existence. It's REALLY UGLY when you peel back to see the details.

I know all the facts and I've read extensively about the subject. What happened to their team was tragic and I was hoping it didn't have to happen.

I'm saying that they're a minimum three years away from even being an FBS transition team, 5 away from being a full fledged member. The BOT in Alabama are still weighted heavily towards Tuscaloosa (and will continue to be). I believe that they are fighting a losing battle and even if they succeed and get their football team back, are the costs to the University really going to outweigh the benefits? It would be a pyrrhic victory at best in my opinion.

What are the costs to the University you're referencing? I don't see the negative consequences in them fighting for what's right.

Fair enough that we disagree on this, but you are the first person I've encountered who feels the way you do, having seen & heard all of the facts.

http://csnbbs.com/thread-732058.html

Things are about to heat up again. Stay tuned.

Direct links (from above thread):

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...-the-sport

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/...um=twitter

(03-23-2015 10:08 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  What are the costs to the University you're referencing? I don't see the negative consequences in them fighting for what's right.

Fair enough that we disagree on this, but you are the first person I've encountered who feels the way you do, having seen & heard all of the facts.

It will cost a lot of money to re-start and finance football. They will also certainly have to try and find a place other than Legion Field to play long term (of which will also be a lot money). There is also no guarantee that C-USA will take them back and they could be stuck playing FCS football. This isn't a school like Boise State that has a huge following and a history of national prominence at the G5 level.

It makes sense to restart the team from a moral/ethical standpoint, but not so much from a financial one. In Alabama, you either root for Alabama or Auburn. There is essentially no market for football in that state outside of those two schools.

They collected something close to 5k season ticket deposits in like three days a couple weeks ago. I think the demand exists.

Not sure what costs you're referencing in starting a program from scratch. It's absolutely not starting from scratch. The OCS issue needs resolution, but they have equipment & facilities already. They had practice facility improvements lined up until the UAB admin mysteriously refused to allow field turf be installed despite it being paid for entirely by boosters.

I get the sense you have some Alabama roots. Am I right?