UAB shutting down football program

#204
#204
Here's a reason all Vol fans should support UAB - Dooley is haunted by his LSU team losing to them in 2000.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0lUPJpRL0M[/youtube]
 
#205
#205
volinbham said:
Here's a reason all Vol fans should support UAB - Dooley is haunted by his LSU team losing to them in 2000.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0lUPJpRL0M[/youtube]
Click to expand...

Saban finally getting revenge. :) UL Monroe better watch it.
 
#206
#206
I really just can't believe this story. Closing the program. Not changing leadership, or cutting costs, or moving down a level, dropping a football program, at a D1 level, that just doubled their average attendance and are bowl eligible.
 
Last edited:
#207
#207
someone put pictures of Ray Watts face in the urinals at Bartow Arena for the BB game tonight
 

Attachments

  • wattsurinal.jpg
    wattsurinal.jpg
    20.1 KB · Views: 2
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#208
#208
Good piece on UAB on Gameday today.

Students calling for vote of no confidence for Ray Watts.

Big Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday morning - vote of no confidence call could be on the agenda or in open forum.

People are pissed about the process.
 
#209
#209
bamawriter said:
Martin and UTC's situations are very, very different from UAB's when it comes to football. Had UAB stayed FCS, this issue would likely never have arisen. But UAB moved to FBS withoit being able to afford it. Playing at Legion Field didn't turn them into a powerhouse by osmosis.

Further, the football as an appeal argument is as weak as it gets. Belmont, for example, has almost tripled their enrollment in the last 15 years, and they don't play football. UAB students don't show up to games. If they came to campus with an interest in the sport, they apparently lost it once enrolled.

I feel for the players, the coaches, and their families. But I don't feel for the students and fans who couldn't be bothered to fill the stadium past 1/3 capacity and now want to bemoan the loss, though it seems that only 200 or so even noticed.
Click to expand...

They're playing in an 85k seat stadium; the number of non-power 5 teams averaging more than 30k fans is few and far between. Off campus facilities kill attendance. Look at Miami, UCF back in the day, FAU etc. The product on the field at smaller schools (Miami excluded) is usually marginal, no one will argue that, so there has to be an incentive to attend. When you can walk across the quad and be there in 10 min you're more likely to go than if you have to drive for 15-20 min, spend 15 min finding parking and then do it all again when leaving.

Using attendance numbers in relation to capacity, in a situation such as this, is a weaker argument than the attraction of potential students.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#210
#210
bamawriter said:
What'll be funny is when the next program shuts down, and it's New Mexico State or Hawaii, and no one on this board gives a damn because Bama won't be the big bad.
Click to expand...

Hawaii can't shut down; who will play those Sunday 12:00 AM ET games?
 
#211
#211
Apparently UABs president attended the SECCG yesterday (though he did not attend UABs last game or many games at all for that matter).

Someone got a picture on him on the plane back from ATL and tweeted "someone call Samuel L. Jackson because a snake has been found on an MFn plane"

I laughed
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#212
#212
volinbham said:
Apparently UABs president attended the SECCG yesterday (though he did not attend UABs last game or many games at all for that matter)...
Click to expand...

That right there says it all, doesn't it? :no: Shows which team he cared about.

And I laughed too.
 
#213
#213
volinbham said:
Apparently UABs president attended the SECCG yesterday (though he did not attend UABs last game or many games at all for that matter).

Someone got a picture on him on the plane back from ATL and tweeted "someone call Samuel L. Jackson because a snake has been found on an MFn plane"

I laughed
Click to expand...

If the Prez would stop using university/taxpayer funds to fly to non-university functions instead of making the 2 hr drive from B'ham to ATL they could have more money for football.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#214
#214
4:17 p.m. -- Some sad news to report, as Conference USA has confirmed that UAB will not be playing in a bowl game. It was expected, but it still sucks for those kids all the same.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#215
#215
volinbham said:
Apparently UABs president attended the SECCG yesterday (though he did not attend UABs last game or many games at all for that matter).

Someone got a picture on him on the plane back from ATL and tweeted "someone call Samuel L. Jackson because a snake has been found on an MFn plane"

I laughed
Click to expand...

Wow.

What a POS.
 
#216
#216
A few updates:

1. Watts called a special Faculty Senate meeting for this afternoon ahead of the regular one scheduled for tomorrow morning. These meetings are open to the public so the special one was an attempt to talk to the Senate only with no one else involved. Debatable if that violated the bylaws of the Faculty Senate. Meeting lasted about 3 hours. Waiting to hear what happened.

Regardless, tomorrow's regular meeting should be raucous - the press will be there along with protesters.

2. People are starting to dissect the numbers. Even after a cursory look on the day they were released it was clear Watts was exaggerating them.

Is UAB juking its football numbers? Cutting has its own costs: opinion | AL.com
 
#217
#217
volinbham said:
A few updates:

1. Watts called a special Faculty Senate meeting for this afternoon ahead of the regular one scheduled for tomorrow morning. These meetings are open to the public so the special one was an attempt to talk to the Senate only with no one else involved. Debatable if that violated the bylaws of the Faculty Senate. Meeting lasted about 3 hours. Waiting to hear what happened.

Regardless, tomorrow's regular meeting should be raucous - the press will be there along with protesters.

2. People are starting to dissect the numbers. Even after a cursory look on the day they were released it was clear Watts was exaggerating them.

Is UAB juking its football numbers? Cutting has its own costs: opinion | AL.com
Click to expand...

VB, are you hearing any rumblings of someone filling suit against the school or board?
 
#218
#218
hog88 said:
VB, are you hearing any rumblings of someone filling suit against the school or board?
Click to expand...

Haven't so far but I would imagine many avenues are being pursued.

Governor now is refusing to comment saying this is all UAB's decision (he's technically Chair of the BOT).

Last week he was saying such a move (canceling football) would be a BOT decision and he was going to look into it.

Lot's of double talk from the BOT but they are distancing themselves. Of course everyone knows that this type of decision would need at least tacit approval from the board.
 
#219
#219
hog88 said:
VB, are you hearing any rumblings of someone filling suit against the school or board?
Click to expand...

As long as UAB pays any cancellation fees to any future opponents, what is there to sue over?

Every athlete is still getting his schollie paid, so I'm not sure what kind of damages any of them could claim.

Even if someone could prove that Watts is intentionally lying, there have to be damages for there to be a lawsuit. Someone being a douchebag isn't actionable.
 
#220
#220
bamawriter said:
As long as UAB pays any cancellation fees to any future opponents, what is there to sue over?

Every athlete is still getting his schollie paid, so I'm not sure what kind of damages any of them could claim.

Even if someone could prove that Watts is intentionally lying, there have to be damages for there to be a lawsuit. Someone being a douchebag isn't actionable.
Click to expand...

Clark may have some action depending on what he was told. He left a job to come here and given how well his ex-team is doing he'd have had other offers.

Donors may too again depending on what they were told.

May be some internal policies and procedures violations (have heard of a few) that someone might bring action on.

In the end though I think the "liability" will be real damage to the capital campaign and a possible loss of job for Watts.
 
#221
#221
volinbham said:
Clark may have some action depending on what he was told. He left a job to come here and given how well his ex-team is doing he'd have had other offers.
Click to expand...

Possibly. But if he gets his buyout, then damages will be tough to prove.

Donors may too again depending on what they were told.
Click to expand...

From everything I've read and heard, most of the donors seem to be complaining that UAB refused to take their money. So I'm not sure about them.

May be some internal policies and procedures violations (have heard of a few) that someone might bring action on.

In the end though I think the "liability" will be real damage to the capital campaign and a possible loss of job for Watts.
Click to expand...

I think firings will be infinitely more likely than lawsuits.
 
#222
#222
Things going very badly for Watts in the Faculty Senate meeting this morning.

Faculty athletics rep basically shredded him with details of how he was excluded from the process (NCAA and university no no) and was told Carr report was about improvements; never about killing programs.

Alumni association disagree with decision and process.

Watts is not attending.
 
#223
#223
hundreds of people and press are at this meeting.

Watts isn't there so someone turned the lights off in the room and yelled "We need more watts in here"

It's a feeding frenzy
 
#225
#225
Update:

Faculty Senate voted forward 2 resolutions for faculty input. Once input is received, Senators will vote on both in early January.

1. Transparent and thorough reassessment of athletics.

2. Vote of No Confidence in President Ray Watts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top