Wow football is coming back to UAB!

[Rdtsmith]

See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/01/uab-football-return-reinstated_n_7486654.html

Thoughts?

[LucieTheLakie]

I think it’s great for the city, but time will tell if it’s truly viable.

From NPR:

In December, the president of the University of Alabama at Birmingham shocked people in the state’s largest city when he canceled the football program, saying it wasn’t economically feasible.

http://www.npr.org/2015/06/02/411406453/uab-reinstates-football-program-but-with-a-financial-caveat

It will be interesting to read the comments that follow the story after it airs. The first one, which I’m pasting below, is definitely negative:

Just a pity. My daughter, a high honors student not interested in the big football schools of AL, decided to tour the school SIMPLY BECAUSE the school DROPPED the football program. Of course, we folks cheering at the smart decision of the university to drop the program, didn’t cheer loud enough. It’s nonsense that this ridiculously expensive sport, a few “fans”, and the egos of wealthy donors are driving this decision. Bottom line, in this state, folks don’t truly care about UAB football…its either Alabama or Auburn. Keep it that way, and let UAB–an institution that is known for its strong academic programs–be a magnet for students who do not want football and all the problems it brings–in their college experience.

[LakeWashington]

What a mean-spirited commentary (not you, Lucie) by that parent! We all realize that big time college football is not universally supported at every FBS/ D1 campus. But still, students who do not like football can generally find their niche in other activities and of course in academics at said campuses.