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

I don’t have a problem with CUSA. Western, ODU, Charlotte and UTEP all have had good B-ball teams in their history. Play the hand we are dealt.

(01-23-2019 10:37 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  Disagree with any scenario that has UAB remaining in C-USA or some merged monstrosity long-term.

THIS version of UAB does not belong in C-USA. These aren't our peer schools, as we ourselves define in our Master Plan. Definitely not academically.

Case in point, a school that's usually brought up in AAC discussions, ODU. Their budget is larger and they are rebuilding their stadium and enlarging it...by 1,000 seats to 20-21K. We average more now than their new expanded stadium will hold and we're building a 45K seat stadium of our own. There are college basketball arenas bigger than Charlotte and WKU's football stadiums, and those are big enough for MTSU, FAU, and FIU's crowds (even when their teams are good).

At the legendary Meeting, it was agreed that we would only bring football back if we did it right this time. Well, Birmingham and UAB doing college football right is just a bigger scale than C-USA. Two seasons back from death and our coach is the highest paid in the league.

We are a world-class university in the number one market for college football. The AAC doesn't have to be our only option.

You should be a coach. You've got me fired up. I realize what UAB was going through back then, but it's still crazy to me that they missed out, while having the #1 college football market, during the "TV Markets are everything" alignment a few years ago.

(01-23-2019 08:21 PM)MAN4UAB Wrote:  I don’t have a problem with CUSA. Western, ODU, Charlotte and UTEP all have had good B-ball teams in their history. Play the hand we are dealt.

I agree with this. Just need them (and UAB) to be relevant now in hoops.

(01-23-2019 08:21 PM)MAN4UAB Wrote:  I don’t have a problem with CUSA. Western, ODU, Charlotte and UTEP all have had good B-ball teams in their history. Play the hand we are dealt.

I agree, to an extent. UAB absolutely should do the best job it can where it is at the moment. CUSA is no excuse for mediocrity. Our biggest problem in CUSA 3.O has been us.

However, the only reason we're not already in the AAC is we played versus a stacked deck. Once the stadium (and arena) is finished, we'll have some of the best facilities in the G5.

I could be wrong, but I feel like the commitments to UAB football by the Foundation, the City, and others were made with a different future in mind than CUSA.

No you are correct. ;-)

(01-24-2019 02:49 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  No you are correct. ;-)

Good. So what will it take for UAB basketball to catch up to football?

If Football, womens basketball, mens basketball all become championship quality, plus the existing higher tier academics and research, then we may not be asking to join a better conference, but are likey to be pursued.

What is needed to awaken basketball again? I think I know the top 5 items on that list, but I will hang up and listen.

(01-24-2019 12:39 PM)Ranger1386c Wrote:  

(01-24-2019 02:49 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  No you are correct. ;-)

Good. So what will it take for UAB basketball to catch up to football?

If Football, womens basketball, mens basketball all become championship quality, plus the existing higher tier academics and research, then we may not be asking to join a better conference, but are likey to be pursued.

What is needed to awaken basketball again? I think I know the top 5 items on that list, but I will hang up and listen.

Big donations, a practice facility for hoops, keep beating the other teams in our conference, start winning the pre conference games again,....

Money / investing in the program / butts in seats

How far away is the bell gymnasium from being a practice facility? Lots of work?

(01-25-2019 09:50 AM)WhatIsThisFeeling Wrote:  How far away is the bell gymnasium from being a practice facility? Lots of work?

I am afraid, we will settle and just put some lipstick on our pig(HS gym). As for a modern style practice facilities that a NCAA tournament level program and/or simply as the other major programs in state of Alabama alredy have, millions and ether replacement or total gut job at Bell,

We have two million in the bank for it but still a ways to go. It won't be lipstick on a pig. It will be first class.

While we can hate on Ingram all we want & I certainly am known to do that you must admit that he is getting things going in the right direction.

I doubt very seriously if he would halfazz a basketball upgrade.