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

Anyone know if there's anything going on with UAB in regards to getting into another conference?

I expect an announcement next week that UAB has joined the ACC.

We are dropping down to the Sun Belt.

I did think covering up the meetings with Roy Williams with some crap about seeing an assistant coach his first game was pretty slick.

(11-29-2012 08:21 AM)58-56 Wrote:  I did think covering up the meetings with Roy Williams with some crap about seeing an assistant coach his first game was pretty slick.

Precisely.

Some people think so, but I will point to these tweets:

Joe Schad ‏@schadjoe
Big East sees value in East Carolina's strong fan base and Tulane's commitment to facilities and the destination city/market size

Dan Wolken ‏@DanWolken
Big East banking on Tulane's facility improvements (which are impressive; school has a ton of $) to change athletics trajectory. We'll see.
.
.
.
The BE has been getting skewered about inviting Tulane. Can you imagine the response if the BE invited UAB and/or USM, a team that went winless this season?

Some USM fans don't realize this, but their best ally in this is UAB.

UAB would push for including USM (should we have any push)

UAB resides in one of the largest TV markets (#42) of any non-AQ team(even though its dominated by UA and Aub).

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/08...13/146976/

(11-29-2012 08:39 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  UAB resides in one of the largest TV markets (#42) of any non-AQ team(even though its dominated by UA and Aub).

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/08...13/146976/

Exactly--plus it's well known that Birmingham is the #1 market for college football per capita. If a UAB team was in the Big East under some mythical huge TV contract that likely won't come to fruition, they would at least get some eyeballs if they were winning.

If market is the only consideration, UAB should be toward the top of nBE's short list.

UAB's market alone will get us serious consideration. Consider UAB and USM were founding members of CUSA (in fact the only 2 that remain). Add in that UAB and USM have developing and established rivalries with many already in the Big East. UAB at least fits the mold of alot of the Big East teams (ie, developing program in larger city). Historically speaking, UAB offers something in terms of basketball and USM offers some in football. UAB has one of the better academic profiles and larger endowments compared to even some programs currently in the Big East.

Our folks have been surprisingly quiet. As stated before, I think we've learned our lesson from prior incidences where folks have leaked information. I do not think UAB and Southern Miss will be content in a glorified Sun Belt, even though some additions are probably good ones (La Tech, for example). I suspect we are nowhere near done with all of the shifting, especially since no one has seen a thing regarding TV deals and that is one of the major driving forces behind this realignment.

No.

(11-29-2012 09:16 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  UAB's market alone will get us serious consideration. Consider UAB and USM were founding members of CUSA (in fact the only 2 that remain). Add in that UAB and USM have developing and established rivalries with many already in the Big East. UAB at least fits the mold of alot of the Big East teams (ie, developing program in larger city). Historically speaking, UAB offers something in terms of basketball and USM offers some in football. UAB has one of the better academic profiles and larger endowments compared to even some programs currently in the Big East.

Our folks have been surprisingly quiet. As stated before, I think we've learned our lesson from prior incidences where folks have leaked information. I do not think UAB and Southern Miss will be content in a glorified Sun Belt, even though some additions are probably good ones (La Tech, for example). I suspect we are nowhere near done with all of the shifting, especially since no one has seen a thing regarding TV deals and that is one of the major driving forces behind this realignment.

Here's the thing: what happens if the phone does ring at UAB? The BOT would have to approve a conference move before it was announced. Now, how would Mackin play this? I think it would be similar to the Stache hiring: have another school's reporter "leak" the info before a vote, thus forcing the BOT's hand.

If we don't get an invite to the Big East, we are screwed. And right now we are screwed.

I think our western C-USA teams are bolting for greener pastures. C-USA is only going to pick up more and more Sun Belt teams.

Had we gone to a couple bowl games and a couple more NCAAs and averaging 30K we would have been in the Big East a few years ago.

(11-29-2012 09:16 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  UAB's market alone will get us serious consideration. Consider UAB and USM were founding members of CUSA (in fact the only 2 that remain). Add in that UAB and USM have developing and established rivalries with many already in the Big East. UAB at least fits the mold of alot of the Big East teams (ie, developing program in larger city). Historically speaking, UAB offers something in terms of basketball and USM offers some in football. UAB has one of the better academic profiles and larger endowments compared to even some programs currently in the Big East.

Our folks have been surprisingly quiet. As stated before, I think we've learned our lesson from prior incidences where folks have leaked information. I do not think UAB and Southern Miss will be content in a glorified Sun Belt, even though some additions are probably good ones (La Tech, for example). I suspect we are nowhere near done with all of the shifting, especially since no one has seen a thing regarding TV deals and that is one of the major driving forces behind this realignment.

The biggest problem for UAB, even bigger than eight straight losing seasons in football, is the lack of support or even outright hostility from the BOT. When there are other programs available, why bother with such a dysfunctional situation?

(11-29-2012 10:05 AM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  If we don't get an invite to the Big East, we are screwed. And right now we are screwed.

I think our western C-USA teams are bolting for greener pastures. C-USA is only going to pick up more and more Sun Belt teams.

I agree Kev. The Mountain West is getting ready to pony up!

(11-29-2012 10:30 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 09:16 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  UAB's market alone will get us serious consideration. Consider UAB and USM were founding members of CUSA (in fact the only 2 that remain). Add in that UAB and USM have developing and established rivalries with many already in the Big East. UAB at least fits the mold of alot of the Big East teams (ie, developing program in larger city). Historically speaking, UAB offers something in terms of basketball and USM offers some in football. UAB has one of the better academic profiles and larger endowments compared to even some programs currently in the Big East.

Our folks have been surprisingly quiet. As stated before, I think we've learned our lesson from prior incidences where folks have leaked information. I do not think UAB and Southern Miss will be content in a glorified Sun Belt, even though some additions are probably good ones (La Tech, for example). I suspect we are nowhere near done with all of the shifting, especially since no one has seen a thing regarding TV deals and that is one of the major driving forces behind this realignment.

The biggest problem for UAB, even bigger than eight straight losing seasons in football, is the lack of support or even outright hostility from the BOT. When there are other programs available, why bother with such a dysfunctional situation?

I do not think the BOT would block a move to a conference with a higher payout. While I am convinced some on the BOT do indeed want to hold UAB back, I think those few have tried to use financial accountability to convince others on the BOT to block UAB from, for example, getting a stadium. In that situation, they were able to succeed by creating doubt in the minds of some on the BOT about whether the money was actually there.

However, in something like conference realignment where UAB could stand to improve its situation financially via better TV deal, I cannot see the few on the BOT that actively do want to hurt UAB succeeding in convincing the others that this wouldn't be a financially responsible situation to join another conference. If they do, they're even dumber than I thought.

And maybe I'm remembering wrong, but didn't the BOT give Mackin the greenlight in terms of discussion regarding the previously proposed CUSA/MWC merger.

(11-29-2012 10:58 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 10:30 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 09:16 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  UAB's market alone will get us serious consideration. Consider UAB and USM were founding members of CUSA (in fact the only 2 that remain). Add in that UAB and USM have developing and established rivalries with many already in the Big East. UAB at least fits the mold of alot of the Big East teams (ie, developing program in larger city). Historically speaking, UAB offers something in terms of basketball and USM offers some in football. UAB has one of the better academic profiles and larger endowments compared to even some programs currently in the Big East.

Our folks have been surprisingly quiet. As stated before, I think we've learned our lesson from prior incidences where folks have leaked information. I do not think UAB and Southern Miss will be content in a glorified Sun Belt, even though some additions are probably good ones (La Tech, for example). I suspect we are nowhere near done with all of the shifting, especially since no one has seen a thing regarding TV deals and that is one of the major driving forces behind this realignment.

The biggest problem for UAB, even bigger than eight straight losing seasons in football, is the lack of support or even outright hostility from the BOT. When there are other programs available, why bother with such a dysfunctional situation?

I do not think the BOT would block a move to a conference with a higher payout. While I am convinced some on the BOT do indeed want to hold UAB back, I think those few have tried to use financial accountability to convince others on the BOT to block UAB from, for example, getting a stadium. In that situation, they were able to succeed by creating doubt in the minds of some on the BOT about whether the money was actually there.

However, in something like conference realignment where UAB could stand to improve its situation financially via better TV deal, I cannot see the few on the BOT that actively do want to hurt UAB succeeding in convincing the others that this wouldn't be a financially responsible situation to join another conference. If they do, they're even dumber than I thought.

And maybe I'm remembering wrong, but didn't the BOT give Mackin the greenlight in terms of discussion regarding the previously proposed CUSA/MWC merger.

Agreed. And they're evil, not dumb. Unfortunately, there's a huge difference. But they wouldn't stand in the way of a move to a better conference like this because it would be so blatantly obvious. They're smart enough not to openly destroy UAB in a way that would likely cause public outrage when they've been perfectly successful keeping us down one small cut at a time.

(11-29-2012 10:58 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 10:30 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 09:16 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  UAB's market alone will get us serious consideration. Consider UAB and USM were founding members of CUSA (in fact the only 2 that remain). Add in that UAB and USM have developing and established rivalries with many already in the Big East. UAB at least fits the mold of alot of the Big East teams (ie, developing program in larger city). Historically speaking, UAB offers something in terms of basketball and USM offers some in football. UAB has one of the better academic profiles and larger endowments compared to even some programs currently in the Big East.

Our folks have been surprisingly quiet. As stated before, I think we've learned our lesson from prior incidences where folks have leaked information. I do not think UAB and Southern Miss will be content in a glorified Sun Belt, even though some additions are probably good ones (La Tech, for example). I suspect we are nowhere near done with all of the shifting, especially since no one has seen a thing regarding TV deals and that is one of the major driving forces behind this realignment.

The biggest problem for UAB, even bigger than eight straight losing seasons in football, is the lack of support or even outright hostility from the BOT. When there are other programs available, why bother with such a dysfunctional situation?

I do not think the BOT would block a move to a conference with a higher payout. While I am convinced some on the BOT do indeed want to hold UAB back, I think those few have tried to use financial accountability to convince others on the BOT to block UAB from, for example, getting a stadium. In that situation, they were able to succeed by creating doubt in the minds of some on the BOT about whether the money was actually there.

However, in something like conference realignment where UAB could stand to improve its situation financially via better TV deal, I cannot see the few on the BOT that actively do want to hurt UAB succeeding in convincing the others that this wouldn't be a financially responsible situation to join another conference. If they do, they're even dumber than I thought.

And maybe I'm remembering wrong, but didn't the BOT give Mackin the greenlight in terms of discussion regarding the previously proposed CUSA/MWC merger.

The BOT would use the "increase in travel costs" as the reason to deny.

(11-29-2012 11:06 AM)BlazerDave Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 10:58 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 10:30 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 09:16 AM)Blazer85 Wrote:  UAB's market alone will get us serious consideration. Consider UAB and USM were founding members of CUSA (in fact the only 2 that remain). Add in that UAB and USM have developing and established rivalries with many already in the Big East. UAB at least fits the mold of alot of the Big East teams (ie, developing program in larger city). Historically speaking, UAB offers something in terms of basketball and USM offers some in football. UAB has one of the better academic profiles and larger endowments compared to even some programs currently in the Big East.

Our folks have been surprisingly quiet. As stated before, I think we've learned our lesson from prior incidences where folks have leaked information. I do not think UAB and Southern Miss will be content in a glorified Sun Belt, even though some additions are probably good ones (La Tech, for example). I suspect we are nowhere near done with all of the shifting, especially since no one has seen a thing regarding TV deals and that is one of the major driving forces behind this realignment.

The biggest problem for UAB, even bigger than eight straight losing seasons in football, is the lack of support or even outright hostility from the BOT. When there are other programs available, why bother with such a dysfunctional situation?

I do not think the BOT would block a move to a conference with a higher payout. While I am convinced some on the BOT do indeed want to hold UAB back, I think those few have tried to use financial accountability to convince others on the BOT to block UAB from, for example, getting a stadium. In that situation, they were able to succeed by creating doubt in the minds of some on the BOT about whether the money was actually there.

However, in something like conference realignment where UAB could stand to improve its situation financially via better TV deal, I cannot see the few on the BOT that actively do want to hurt UAB succeeding in convincing the others that this wouldn't be a financially responsible situation to join another conference. If they do, they're even dumber than I thought.

And maybe I'm remembering wrong, but didn't the BOT give Mackin the greenlight in terms of discussion regarding the previously proposed CUSA/MWC merger.

The BOT would use the "increase in travel costs" as the reason to deny.

It's virtually the same conference we are in now.