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Another possible round of conference changes

Hey, it's a publicly funded university.....it's not Auburn's money, and the taxpayers seem to have an endless supply of more. :roll:
 
The deficit at Auburn,in the athletic budget was created by just about all sports but football. Football had a surplus of $33.2 million dollars which was down $5 million from the previous year. The deficit was caused by just about every other sport, plus the construction and upgrades and several of the university's athletic facilities. Much of those facilities will not generate revenue because of their nature. Much like the new facilities built by Bradley.
 
tornado said:
UAB's Board of Trustees is meeting presently and their fans are furious about their decisions and dropping football...
as well as the loss of a lot of revenue in Athletics that is hurting their academics...
and they are protesting in large numbers at the Board meeting - they have very passionate fans
http://m.myfoxal.com/myfoxal/db_330638/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=CpIBv4wg
http://www.abc3340.com/story/280446...-trusee-joe-espy-says-hes-heard-the-community
Click to expand...

this issue will not go away....

now the UAB football fans are on a crusade to overturn the UAB Board of Trustees by pushing for amendments to the University system bylaws that would allow a re-structuring of the entire Board.
They also want to impose certain qualifications on Board members so it will be easier to boot them out if they are perceived to be failing in their obligations to the public.
A 3rd possibility would be to simply LEGISLATE the re-instatement of UAB Football!

Wow, I sure wish Bradley fans has this kind of clout!!

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/03/uab_supporters_rallying_in_mon.html
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/11/state_rep_jack_williams_lays_o.html
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/01/rep_jack_williams_to_propose_l.html
 
tornado said:
this issue will not go away....

now the UAB football fans are on a crusade to overturn the UAB Board of Trustees by pushing for amendments to the University system bylaws that would allow a re-structuring of the entire Board.
They also want to impose certain qualifications on Board members so it will be easier to boot them out if they are perceived to be failing in their obligations to the public.
A 3rd possibility would be to simply LEGISLATE the re-instatement of UAB Football!

Wow, I sure wish Bradley fans has this kind of clout!!

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/03/uab_supporters_rallying_in_mon.html
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/11/state_rep_jack_williams_lays_o.html
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/01/rep_jack_williams_to_propose_l.html
Click to expand...


If Bradley was located in the south and played BCS football, they would have that kind of clout. Football is king in the south, followed by baseball, golf and basketball. It is difficult to understand, unless you've lived down there.

My guess is, football at some point in the not so far future will be restored at UAB.
 
tornado said:
UAB just dropped football - thus CUSA (Conference USA) will likely look to replace them as a conference member shortly......
Click to expand...

this announcement that UAB dropped football was made almost FOUR MONTHS AGO...
with talk right away that they'd likely be replaced in the CUSA and be looking for another conference to compete in -
after all - of 350 DI schools, only one plays outside of a conference, so it's a given they will be searching for a new conference home if they don't negotiate to stay in CUSA as a non-football school.

They have raised their stock a little bit just this past few weeks -
..up til today they'd won 16 of their final 22 games
..they blew through their CUSA Tourney and won the Title and the automatic NCAA bid
..then they knocked off Iowa State before losing today.

So will the MVC look for a new member ? They are about the same distance from BU & ISU as Wichita is.
 
I would be surprised if UAB would leave Conference USA for the Missouri Valley. If they were to leave for another conference, I would expect them to join the Southern Conference as opposed to the MVC. There would be more natural rivalries and less travel expenses. In addition, not all teams in the Southern Conference play football and those that do, compete at the FBS level, the same level as MVC schools that play football.

I believe it is more likely, UAB stays in Conference USA. Them dropping football would not dramatically effect scheduling as Charlotte will begin playing football as a conference member in the fall of 2015. It is also likely UAB will bring football back, sometime in the future.
 
although we may never know all the facts - UAB's agreement with CUSA involves competing in football...thus - it IS a requirement!

Once they drop football - then there are automatic penalties that kick in - one of which is the REQUIREMENT that they withdraw from the conference.
I suppose an alternative could be negotiated - but most people do expect them to seek another conference - since the main reason they are dropping football is the escalating cost of competing if every other school in CUSA provides their scholarship athletes with the "full cost of attendance" - which means they will begin paying their players

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/11/demise-uab-football-blow-conference-usa-and-thus-blow-old-dominion
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...league-will-be-patient-on-whether-to-keep-uab
 
Conference USA is in no hurry to ask UAB to forfeit their membership and make them leave the conference because they dropped football. Having football is a conference requirement at the current time. There is also an effort underway to change that rule.

In addition, there is an Alabama state legislature investigation, looking into the process and validity of the dropping of football by President Watts at UAB. He has been given a vote of no confidence by the staff and faculty at UAB, and is in a situation similar to what Glasser was in here at Bradley.

If UAB were to leave Conference USA at some point, I still believe they would go to the Southern Conference before they joined they MVC. There are more natural rivals and the travel is not as bad.
 
Vent said:
I would be surprised if UAB would leave Conference USA for the Missouri Valley....

....
If UAB were to leave Conference USA at some point, I still believe they would go to the Southern Conference before they joined they MVC. There are more natural rivals and the travel is not as bad.
Click to expand...


anything is still possible but just a day or so ago - another column appeared, again linking UAB with joining the MVC
..and possibly as soon as NEXT SEASON!!!

"There has been some interest in and from the Missouri Valley Conference, which would be a quality landing spot
if UAB moves forward without football, but how long would any conference wait to adjust its roster for next season?"

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/03/jerod_haase_needs_to_know_what.html
 
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With the State Legislature of Alabama looking into the decision of one man (President Watts) at UAB making the decision to drop football, it does not appear Conference USA is in a hurry to ask UAB to leave. In fact there is a very good possibility the league may change the rule requiring teams to play football and a member. The President at UAB is in the same position as Joanne Glasser was in at Bradley. He has received a vote of no confidence b the staff and faculty. I don't know if such a vote was ever held at BU.

UAB would be a nice addition to the Valley from a men's basketball standpoint. The Valley also does not offer the women's sports of bowling, rifle and sand volleyball, all team sports that UAB has for women, would for them to drop those sports or join another conference as an affiliate member only. Dropping those sports would cause problems with fulfilling the requirements of Title IX.

With the possibility of football being reinstated at UAB at some time at some level, I believe as soon as they have it again, they would leave the Valley.

If the MVC expands, they need to get more private schools to balance the voting out. Another public school would not be good for the private schools.
 
Vent said:
...does not appear Conference USA is in a hurry to ask UAB to leave. In fact there is a very good possibility the league may change the rule requiring teams to play football..
Click to expand...



nope, CBSSports is reporting that Conference USA will not change that rule...
"Conference USA has communicated to UAB that the league won't amend its bylaws
to keep the Blazers without football, according to sources familiar with the discussions."
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...nt-change-bylaws-to-keep-uab-without-football


the article goes on to say they have until this fall to reinstate football or they will lose some CUSA conference revenue and then be eliminated from the conference in 2016
 
From what I am hearing from people in Birmingham, money is flowing in for reinstating football. There is also an unbelievable amount of pressure on President Watts to bring it back. I would be surprised if it isn't brought back. From what I have been told if it isn't brought back, President Watts may be looking for a job.
 
Some news on conference expansion....

First, the Pac-12 says they will not pursue any further expansion - something that was speculated as other conferences like the Big 12, ACC, and Big East keep getting bigger..
http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/a...ssioner-scott-doesnt-see-expansion-successful

But the Big East (basketball-schools) keeps talking of adding members - as VCU, Richmond, ODU, Dayton, and Davidson keep coming up....
Clearly market size is NOT the only factor - as the Big East obviously likes teams with great basketball tradition and winning programs (the latter reason why Bradley was quickly dismissed as a potential addition).

I think the MVC should add two or four new members to be strong should some other conference come cherry picking.

Teams like Valpo, Green Bay, NDSU, and UW-M have a lot of reasons to consider a bid from the MVC ...and there was even talk of MVC pursuing UAB
..and recall the Valley was actually considering UIC back in 2013.
 
The Valley had a very preliminary interest in possibly adding UAB back in March. Since then UAB has reinstated football, will start competing again during the 2017 season and will be staying put in Conference USA.
 
The Sun Belt meets Tuesday to decide on expansion - it is expected they will add a new member and go from 11 members to 12
http://www.myarklamiss.com/sports/local-sports/sun-belt-conference-expected-to-add-12th-school

and the two most likely candidates for the new addition are either ...
Coastal Carolina - currently one of the better teams in the Big South...&
Eastern Kentucky - one of the better teams in the Ohio Valley Conference

One team that was hoping to be considered is New Mexico State - who are still in the WAC - even tho all the other solid WAC teams have left and realigned elsewhere.
If you look at who is left in the WAC - I don't blame NMSU for desperately wanting out.
They are the only WAC team with an RPI better than 279
http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2015/conference/Western Athletic
 
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