Announcement at 4 pm re UAB Football reinstatement.

President Watts and AD Mark Ingram holding a presser this afternoon to reveal whether UAB Football will be reinstated. UAB boosters have raised $30 million in four weeks to cover the budget donut hole and new facilities. Word is that Watts has been persuaded (read local big business and boosters cornered him and twisted his arm) that the program is viable. He took it to the UA System Board of Trustees in Tuscaloosa over the weekend. The odds I get from folks in a position to know says its 70-30 that the BoT kills it again, and damn the fans. The reason given for killing the program back in December was that there was no local support for it, but Watts never asked for money, he just pulled the plug. I think that rationale has been disproved.

We'll see soon.

 

This will thrill dozens.

 

Any reason this couldn't have been put on your other running UAB football thread?

 

Woo.

Word of the day: viable. Woo.

 

Or ...

 

BLAZERS

 

Good news for fans if they get it back, but I can't imagine the state of the program now.

Players gone, coaches gone, no recruits, it'll be like starting up a D-I program from scratch, no? I hope the fans, local businesses and big-money boosters are ready to keep giving as they watch some absolute wretched football these next few seasons.

 

And when would the team come back, 2016? Later?

 

Fixed

 

First question: Would the NCAA allow any of the previous players who transferred out, to transfer back without any loss of eligibility?

Probably not, of course.

 

Of course not.

But ... if you were one of those players and just had your program yanked out from under you, would you want to go back? I'm assuming they've all transferred to places and started summer school, have leases and are entrenched in their new places.

 

Bill Clark never left. He wants the job, sees the potential, and migawd is he much loved here for a one season coach.

There are still maybe 30 players on campus taking classes on a free ride. I don't know whether the NCAA will allow waivers to transfer back or not, I don't count on it. UAB had applied to the NCAA for a waiver to be able to offer the so far unused 2015 schollys, plus 2016. 2015 season is a wash, of course. Clark is very tight with the Alabama high school coaches. He's been talking to prospective assistants for wherever he wound up, scoping recruits and jucos. 2016 will be be a lost season, of course, but it won't be a SMU situation. You should also see a number of facilities included. Word around here is that it is indeed coming back, and that should include turf on the practice field, new coaches offices and meeting rooms, and an IPF.

The team will still be playing at Legion Field. OCS will come later, need the team back first, but this looks like a real big win for the UAB students, alumni, and fans.