UAB yesterday officially "terminated its football program," making it the first D-I football team "to be shuttered" since '95, according to a front-page piece by Kelsey Stein of the BIRMINGHAM NEWS. UAB President Ray Watts said that the decision "had more to do with determining the university's priorities and investing in them than with any financial difficulties." Watts: "This is not about financial woes. This is about planning for excellence in the future in everything we do." UAB also shuttered its bowling and rifle teams, with those decisions following a CarrSports Consulting review of UAB athletics as "part of a campus-wide strategic planning initiative that began about 18 months ago." Watts said that killing football "'was not what we set out to do' but the more they analyzed, the clearer the situation became." Stein reports UAB officials have "created a transition plan for the athletic department." With the football program disbanding, the rest of school's athletic teams likely "will need to find a new home" outside of Conference-USA. More than a dozen coaches "are affected by the cuts, but the university will honor their contracts." Watts said that no students "will lose their scholarships." Stein notes the CarrSports study shows UAB subsidizes $20M of the roughly $30M "annual athletic department operating budget." The study estimated that over the next five years, the "difference between eliminating the football program and maintaining a competitive Conference USA program" equates to $49M. The school launched its football program in '91 (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 12/3). ESPN's Stan Verrett noted things "got emotional” when Watts met with coaches and players to announce the decision (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 12/3). FS1’s Jay Onrait noted reaction to the announcement was “filled with sadness and anger.” After meeting with the team, Watts "needed Birmingham and campus police to escort him through an angry mob as hundreds of students and supporters marched ... in protest” (“Fox Sports Live,” FS1, 12/3).
UNIVERSITY FUNDS WOULD HAVE BEEN SHIFTED: Watts said that if continued, UAB was looking at a $100M "existing subsidy from the university to the athletic department over the next half decade -- forcing funds to be shifted from other areas like research or patient care." The $49M figure "does not include capital improvements to facilities," which could cost $22M for football "alone that would not include an on-campus stadium" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/2). Watts said that if his plan plays out unhindered, UAB's athletics program "will be operating" at a $1.8M surplus in five years. Watts: "Over the next five years, instead of having a $27 million operating deficit, by making these changes, we'll have a $1.8 million surplus. That's after reallocating the resources to the other sports" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/2).
WHAT ROLE DID TRUSTEES PLAY? Watts indicated that the Univ. of Alabama System BOT "had no say in the decision" to eliminate the football program. He added that he "stopped an earlier campaign to kill the football program in favor of allowing CarrSports' strategic study to play out." Watts: "The board of trustees have had no role in this strategic plan. This has been the strategic plan, we emphasized from the beginning, would be based on objectivity and data and give us a clear path forward. That's the way we make every decision at this institution." In Birmingham, Bryan Davis noted Watts also "denied allegations that he was given the order to find a way to cut the program when he was hired as president" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/2). However, CBSSPORTS.com's Jon Solomon wrote the "very strong belief by UAB supporters is football got killed by powerful trustees" with Univ. of Alabama ties, "including Paul Bryant Jr., the son of the legendary Alabama football coach" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/2). In Birmingham, Kevin Scarbinsky writes Watts "comes across as little more than the errand boy for the assassins" on the Univ. of Alabama System BOT. It is "hard to tell which will send Paul Bryant Jr. into trustee retirement with a bigger smile, another national title for his beloved Crimson Tide or the death of UAB football" (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 12/3).
WILL SCHOOL HAVE TO LEAVE C-USA? Watts said that UAB in the short-term is "focusing on remaining in Conference USA and maintaining" D-I status. However, the BIRMINGHAM NEWS' Stein notes C-USA in '05 decided that all members "must play football" at the FBS level or "be in the process of moving to that level" (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 12/3). Watts said, "We stayed in Conference USA a couple years ago when all the shuffling was going on. We stayed loyal to our conference. We're one of the original members. So we paid our dues and expect to be heard fairly." But CBSSPORTS.com's Solomon noted few people "think C-USA will change its bylaws to keep UAB." C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky said in a statement the league is "disappointed with the decision." Banowsky: "We don't fully understand the decision, nor agree with it." UAB baseball player Mitch Williams said, "A lot of guys came here because of Conference USA and the quality of competition they have. That's going to be a big downer for us, as well as funding could go down. The biggest thing is we don't have any sure answers" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/2). Marshall AD Mike Hamrick's "personal preference has been for his program to be in a conference where every school plays football." Hamrick: "We’re going to let it play out and we’re going to meet in January, the ADs, and we’re going to figure out which direction we’re going to go in" (CHARLESTONDAILYMAIL.com, 12/2). Meanwhile, in San Antonio, Jerry Briggs reported even "with the loss of UAB football, Conference USA wouldn’t need to add a team to remain a 13-team league next year." UNC-Charlotte, a conference member in all other sports since '13-14, is scheduled in '15 to "move up" to the FBS and start playing a C-USA schedule (MYSANANTONIO.com, 12/2).
WARNING SHOT TO OTHER SCHOOLS: USA TODAY's Dan Wolken writes other schools are "going to carefully watch the consequences" from UAB's decision. At a time when "several programs outside the Power Five conferences have chosen to ramp up their commitment to compete while the financial gap grows wider and the expense of playing football increases dramatically, UAB suddenly becomes the test case for a school taking the opposite tack." As other programs "crunch the numbers and face the reality of forever operating outside the Power Five, it's very possible more will follow suit" (USA TODAY, 12/3). In N.Y., Strauss & Schonbrun write UAB shuttering its program is the "most visible sign yet that athletic officials throughout the country are considering radical options in the face of mounting financial burdens." The "most prominent athletic programs have charged ahead with reforms that allow them to make their own rules on matters like whether to financially reward athletes." But everyone else "has been left at a daunting crossroads" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/3).
