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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014
PAGE 3B
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I'm not a politician, but I do want to fight for these guys. I think we're playing our best ball."
-UAB coach Bill Clark
FACT OF THE DAY
UAB's last winning season happened in 2004 with a 7-5 record and an appearance in its first bowl game. The Dragons lost in the Hawaii Bowl 59-40 to the University of Hawaii. USA Today
USA Today
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: What was the last major top-tier, D1 football program to shut down?
A: University of the Pacific in 1995 Inside Higher Ed
THE MORNING BREW
UAB eliminating its football program a bad decision.
On Tuesday, the University of Alabama - Birmingham (UAB) announced to faculty and students that it planned to cut its Division I football program at the end of the season, citing financial reasons. The football program, which has been sub-par for the last several years, cost the university $20 million in subsidies annually.
However, the team saw more success this year, finishing 6-6 with a chance at playing in a bowl game. Coach Bill Clark told AL.com he is lobbying to keep the program and also for a bowl invitation. If the team doesn't receive an invite, then UAB played its final game against Southern Mississippi, winning 45-24. After the season, the football program will be cut and the money saved will be put into furthering education and the medical research hospital on the campus.
Without a football program, UAB will no longer meet the requirements
of its current conference, Conference USA, who requires all schools to have an active football team.
After an 18-month review of the University's finances, UAB president Ray Watts hired CarrSports Consulting to estimate how much it would cost to make the football program successful. CarrSports estimated around $49 million, which included funds for new facilities — the current stadium is in poor state — as well as football personnel, new equipment and other operating costs. Watts decided he was not willing to spend
this much money on a mediocre team.
While this decision may save money in the short run, Watts doesn't seem to have considered the long term effects it could have. Many alumni and fans have already spoken out in outrage about the decision, some threatening to withhold donations from the university. Others believe this will make the university less attractive to prospective students.
Football is a religion in the south, and the state of Alabama is no exception. Auburn University and the University of Alabama make that very clear. But it's hard to compete with those big-name, big-program schools when you are a small school. So it is understandable why the Alabama Board of Trustees provides less money to the UAB program.
But a school without a football program is way less attractive than a school with a mediocre football program. Imagine if Kansas cut its football program entirely Sure, we would still have men's basketball going for us, but we would lose out
on so many potential students and athletes who care about football, whether or not our team is successful. UAB has a strong basketball program itself, but without its football program, the basketball program will likely become just an afterthought to potential students.
Alabama is all about football. Football is all about Alabama. Eliminating football is a recipe for disaster.
Edited by Drew Parks
This week in athletics
Thursday
Women's basketball
Incarnate Word
7 p.m.
Lawrence
Friday
Men's basketball
Florida
8 p.m.
Lawrence
Saturday
Women's swim
USA Winter Nationals
All day
Greensboro, N.C.
Sunday
Women's basketball
California
5 p.m.
Lawrence
Monday No events
Tuesday No events
Men's basketball Georgetown 6 p.m. Washington, D.C.
Wednesday
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