UAB shuts down football program - does this impact Greek Life?
 

I hope, somehow, UAB can reverse this decision and keep their football program. If not, will losing a Division 1 football program (C-USA conference) impact Greek Life (approx 11K undergrad students)?

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...otball-program

22 GLO's at UAB
IFC: ATO, Delta Sigma Phi, Lambda Chi, TKE, Theta Chi, Pi Kappa Phi
NPC: AGD, AOPi, AXD, DG
NPHC: APhiA, KAPsi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, AKA, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta
Multicultural: Beta Chi Theta, DE Psi, D Phi O, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Sigma Sigma Rho

It'll possibly shift the campus culture to being an even more commuter-oriented school. Greek Life can still thrive in that sort of environment.

I know not of the school or its football program. However I am concerned, all the way to appalled, about the cost of attending college today. It is after all about getting an education. Sports can be enjoyed with an intramural program which is often part of the Greek experience.

Greeks have been big supporters of UAB's football program. I want to note that UAB is also losing its men's bowling and women's rifle teams.

Obviously football is a big deal in Alabama. In addition to U of Alabama and Auburn U fielding national championship teams, the University of North Alabama has had national championship teams in a smaller NCAA division. Jacksonville State, Troy, and U of West Alabama have successful teams, and U of South Alabama has a fairly new program - their team will go to its first bowl game this year. The annual Alabama A & M and Alabama State game is renowned as the Magic City Classic. Both schools have furnished a number of players to the NFL.

Football or not, UAB has been shifting away from being a commuter school for several years now with continuing emphasis on medicine and research. Its engineering and theatre departments are growing.

Having a football team has been a point of pride and identity for UAB, but before football it had a powerhouse basketball team, and continues to field teams in other sports. UAB will survive.

I've only watched part of this, but it's pretty heartbreaking. The players were clearly blindsided, and they're definitely not happy about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAvSuQEh6lI

There is much more to this and it's very sinister. The new president, he's been in office a little over a year, is from the medical school faculty. He has already pretty much disbanded the Honors College as he considers it "elitest." Wonder what he would say about that to their young man from that program who was just named a Rhodes Scholar????

Also, the sinister side is that the medical side wants just the medical/heathcare programs and the grad school to survive. They would like to do away with the undergrad side altogether.

This week, CPH voted to invite 2 groups to colonize over the next two years. (I don't know which two those are yet). I wonder if they would be still willing to do so with all this going on? Is it worth establishing a chapter if it might be gone in 10-15 years due to undergrad being shut down?

So it would just be UAB, the campus of the UA system that has only medical programs and a grad school? How autonomous are the various UA campuses? Are they talking medical as in MDs or LPNs?

There seems to be a breed of college presidents out there who think the way to accolades is by making college less about learning and turning them into vocational institutions. Not everyone wants/is able to go to an Ivy or Big 10ish school. That doesn't mean a 4 year education is not in the cards for them.

UAB is a highly ranked well regarded program for MDs especially in oncology. It was originally the medical school for Alabama and has only recently (last 20 years) expanded its undergraduate program. My understanding is this helped some with growth and development in downtown Birmingham but now there is concern about duplication of programs. It has been noted that when UAB wants to start something they were concerned about competing with Tuscaloosa but when UA starts nursing program at UA that is not a problem

Those greedy bastards in Tuscaloosa!!! We should demand that their football program be closed down, too!!!!! ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

Not that it's the same thing, but the SSHEPA schools always had an agreement (whether this was actually written or just a gentleman's agreement, I don't know) that certain majors would not be duplicated among its members in the same geographical area. But judging by the alumni reception I attended tonight, that is out the window. :rolleyes:

There are 3 schools in the UA system = UA, UAB and UAH (Huntsville). They are all governed by the same BOT - and therein lies the rub. The vast majority of the BOT are UA graduates. Also, Paul Bryant, Jr ( son of Bear Bryant) has been on the board for decades. He is rolling off due to age restrictions but it's always been felt that he was anti UAB having a football program and that he's done everything he can to make sure it tanks. UAB proponents have long lobbied for their own BOT.

Read the Dec. 2nd post:
http://www.fireraywatts.com/

Ray Watts also killed the marching band and a majority of the cheerleading squad. What a great guy.

If a university has a Division 1 football program, who has 5-6 games televised a year and the President doesn't know how to leverage that into being a money maker, then he doesn't know how to lead a university and should be FIRED!

In a situation like this when scholarships are already awarded and the programs are later eliminated, I would think the university has an obligation to continue to honor that scholarship commitment. Future scholarship opportunities are gone, but don't they have to pay out on the current commitments like with any other contractual arrangement? Is that not true?

Not going to disagree with you. :)

Given Titchou's comments about this situation, I think that any president who is actively seeking to shrink a university's offerings should be fired. I would think that it would be in the state's best interest to have a 4-year undergraduate university in their largest city.

Nope. Our gymnastics program got eliminated and half the girls had to leave because their scholarships went as well.

I have no thoughts except that I had to google what UAB stood for, even after reading that article. I kinda figured it was University of Alabama, Birmingham, but I was surprised it wasn't spelled out anywhere.

NCAA scholarships are one-year agreements. Yes, they usually renewed, however they are only for one year periods of time. The football players have a scholarship for this academic year. They will be able to transfer to any school and play next year without sitting out since the school did away with the sport.

As long as they get offered by another school they can. There's no guarantee in that.

Since 2012, the NCAA has allowed schools to provide multiyear scholarships.

Most fon't give multi year ones though. However, most schools will honor the scholarships for the balance of the time the student is in school once they close a program. UAB has agreed to do this. 'Bout the only good thing I can say about them at this point...

It is allowed by the NCAA, however I do not know of a major (or even mid-major) DI school which does multi-year deal. One year is still the norm.

Most football programs probably don't make money -- even "top tier" programs:

I hate it for the students, the scholarship athletes, and city, but UAB was facing some huge expenditures to improve facilities and was (has been) in need of an on-campus stadium. It is very unlikely that the program would become a money-maker.

UAB football has been around less than 14 years I think -- and D1 fewer years than that. Unfortunately, UAB often seemed like a football stepchild sandwiched between several high-profile SEC teams here.

Hopefully something can be worked out conference-wise for the remaining sports (UAB has had a competitive basketball team and following in the past, for instance). Conference USA stipulates that the school must have a football program.

It's sad for the disappointed students and fans. Some of the freshman athletes probably feel betrayed having just been recruited.

This makes sense to me.

It was my understanding that the vast majority of the money generated by NCAA sports is in broadcast deals. Wasn't that the driver behind all of this re-mixing of the major conferences within the past few years?

I seem to remember that the (then) Pac-10 was really concerned that it didn't have nearly the broadcasting revenues that conferences like the SEC did, hence the move to expand and renegotiate those deals. I can only imagine that an even smaller conference would have really limited bargaining power with the broadcasters, and hence minimal revenues.

And think of the law suits they just eliminated, from head injury, to sexual assault, to drunken fights at tailgates. If the over/under is they get rid of football and then spend more money on academics, I'm all for it. Hopefully it's a trend that will continue.

There are certainly people who share that sentiment -- some people feel that UAB should invest in what they do well going forward instead of investing heavily in improvements necessary to support the football program.

It seems to be a situation ripe for knee-jerk disappointed reactions (understandable) and internet misunderstandings. I haven't heard from any credible source that there are any plans to ever do away with undergraduate studies. And the Honors Program has not been disbanded:

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/08/stir_over_uab_honors_program_w.html


I don't know if the lack of a football program will affect undergraduate enrollment, but I would be surprised if there was any significant decrease in numbers. Most students planning to attend UAB are probably not expecting a campus atmosphere that rallies around football like some of our other state universities, and probably do not choose UAB for that reason.

UAB is a very different campus "feel" -- 79% of students live off-campus/commute. The Greek community is extremely small (especially considering UAB's location) -- 2.9% of women and 2.4% of men are Greek (source).

This change makes a lot of sense to me. If you're competing for undergrad students in Alabama, there's no way on Earth you can distinguish yourself by using football. It makes sense to spend that money on ways you CAN distinguish yourself -- UAB is urban, it's got great ethnic and economic diversity, it's terrific in science and health fields. Those are good reasons students might choose it over Alabama and Auburn.

And the lack of an honors college will cause them to go elsewhere - Watts shut that down last year - too elitist. Yeah, so elitist that they just had one of the students who was in it named a Rhodes Scholar. Guess they don't want any of those...

But the Honors College isn't going anywhere. It was a false rumor last year. The program is alive and well and admitting new students.

http://www.uab.edu/students/undergra...onors-programs

Yes it is -- accurate info is just a simple google search away. ;)

Well put -- as much as the loss of the football program is disappointing and disruptive for many current students, IMO, it will not dissuade future students from choosing UAB.

Vote of "No Confidence" in UAB President.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ence-president

Good news for the football program at the University of Alabama - Birmingham:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-...183433556.html

Yep- the Blazers are back!

wanted to update this thread and say UAB football will be returning in 2017 with bowling and rifle to return in 2015 and 2016 ( I don't know which is when) there seems to be some misinformation on here, Ray Watts did not kill the marching band program, it is still very much alive and kicking despite not having football. as mentioned, the honors program is also alive and well. also, this turmoil expands far beyond football and is only part of a bigger problem UAB faces with the UA BOT. and with two upcoming Panhellenic expansions, I don't believe Greek life will be largely affected although it is somewhat expected enrollment will be down for the 2015-2016 school year.