UAB: The Price of Big-Time College Football

UAB may not be your powerhouse program, but you ask the 100 young men on the team what it means to them to suit up every Saturday in the green & gold of UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and if they think it means more to the players on Alabama, or Oregon, than it does to them. It has been decided that UAB will discontinue their men's football program after this year. Not only that, but this means the Bowl eligible UAB team will not be going to a Bowl game. Everyone on that team it would seem has played their last game of college football for UAB, and probably their last game period. It struck me as so sad and disappointing and I'm very glad they have outspoken support from Roddy White, who played at UAB from 2001-2004 before becoming a first round pick for the Atlanta Falcons, where he continues to play today. Tristan Henderson has received some press for his heartfelt, and really heart-breaking, speech to the UAB President Ray Watts when he announced the team would be disbanding after the end of the season. UAB still plays D.I basketball and often find themselves in the NCAA tournament. It may be too late for UAB, but there are sad lessons to be learned. It's too expensive to compete in D.I football if you don't already have a major program and heritage. UAB shares a board of trustees with Alabama and it would seem they were constantly second-class citizens to almighty 'Bama for everything related to athletics. Alabama refuses to play them in basketball or football. Support is minimal from the one article that I read, so I'm not sure how it works or how true that is. The reality is the cost of the schools who recently have started to play D. I football is a subsidy of at least $16 million dollars annually. That isn't JUST for football, but it gives some idea and perspective. It's HUGE business and how your Alabama's and Oregon's of the world, besides Phil Knight (Oregon alum & Nike CEO) would be through the enormous amount of money paid out to the schools who participate in BCS bowl games. The TV take to be split between all teams in the conference for just one BCS Bowl game is more than these other schools hemorrhage out for the subsidies each year. It's why these selection processes are so important. It isn't JUST for our entertainment and "fairness", but the difference in money to the programs voted in is VERY significant. It was estimated that for UAB to be "competitive" in football it would require around $44 million over the next 4 years for facility upgrades and whatever else would be required to keep up with the Jones'. All other sports with the exception of major D.I men's basketball programs lose money every year. A major football program helps keep the other sports, especially women's athletics because of Title IX, feasible. Travel, scholarships, coaches, facilities, and meal plans (I'm forgetting other big expenses I'm certain) all cost a LOT of money. A D. I football program hasn't been eliminated since 1995, but plenty of other sports have been cut to appease Title IX and the schools budgetary concerns, primarily wrestling & men's swimming/diving are the likely candidates. Without diving into the financial mire, I just think it's very sad for the players on UAB. Do they lose their scholarships? Will they be allowed to transfer to another team without losing a year of eligibility? What is going to happen to the coaches? Was there a way to save the program? How can this be prevented in the future? With the creation of these monstrous "mega-conferences" and their money grabbing ways smaller conferences and their teams will have the monetary gap widen and therefore will not be able to have the "state of the art" equipment and facilities as larger conferences schools. There has to be a better way than our current systems, but I don't see changes coming in the near future. I hope the UAB players can find happiness and continue playing if they so choose, or at the BARE minimum continue on their scholarships to finish their academic careers. If that doesn't happen there should be some real hell being raised.