Dakota Crawford is a senior journalism and telecommunications major and writes ‘Full-Court Press’ for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. Write to Dakota at dmcrawford@bsu.edu.
To the University of Alabama at Birmingham football players, I say: Have a moment.
Let out the pain you felt after being informed that your football team is no more. UAB president Ray Watts announced the school would cut its football, rifle and bowling programs Tuesday afternoon.
In a “Message from the President” memo posted on the school’s website, Watts stated that a strategic review started more than a year ago led the university to make the decision to eliminate the three programs. Because the university already subsidizes $20 million of its $30 million athletic budget, Watts did not want to take on additional costs the football program would have required to remain competitive in Conference USA.
To Watts and the rest of the administration that made this decision, I tip my hat. After a year of digging through the numbers, looking at what it would cost to build a stadium for the team and really analyzing how much it takes away from the rest of the university, they made the right decision.
It is, after all, a higher learning institution, and those football players are there to get an education. Those players lost their uniforms, teammates and coaches on Tuesday — but they didn’t lose their scholarships. UAB is going to honor the scholarships of any player that chooses to stay. And the NCAA is going to allow UAB players to transfer without penalty if they so choose.
After a moment of grieving and refocusing, it’s important that these players take a look at the big picture. They will still receive a degree, and they will still move on to the working world just like the rest of us. College football, for most, is the end of their playing careers. They’ll be prepared for a bright future, and they’ll have a degree with value.
Watts said in his statement that the university was focused on education. That’s what really matters.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller (5) gets by University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers cornerback Kelton Brackett (21) for a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, September 22, 2012. Photo by Neal C. Lauron / Columbus Dispatch
“In order to invest at least another $49 million, UAB would have to redirect funds away from other critical areas of importance,” he said. “Like education, research, patient care and student services, which are core to UAB’s mission, and our priority athletic programs would suffer competitively.”
In January the NCAA could, and likely will, implement a cost-of-attendance payment for players that will increase the cost of a scholarship by at least $2,000. That move is going to shift the way programs across the country look at sports. There will be schools forced to eliminate smaller programs to keep their football team playing and competing at a high level.
Even from an athletic standpoint, taking football out of the equation from the very beginning is the best move. In this scenario, UAB will be able to dump more money into its other, smaller programs. That in turn will ensure the school remains competitive, and maybe even elite in those sports. Any recognition or prestige they could only hope to gain through football will suddenly be a realistic accomplishment for the other, more manageable athletic teams.
It’s exciting, quite frankly, to see this decision made. UAB is the first school since University of the Pacific in 1995 to kill its football program. It’s terrible for the athletes, I know. But for students across the country going into debt to fund athletics, it’s a great step forward.
At Ball State, student money collected through fees makes athletics possible. The athletic department is 74 percent subsidized and only produces about $4 million of its roughly $15 million in income. It’s taking money straight from students’ pockets to put a product on the field that’s losing money year in and year out.
Those football players at UAB deserve a moment of grief. But the administration at UAB took a great step forward in higher education that will make a difference in its students’ lives for a long time.
Read More
It's possible, and more common than many think, to fall into an abusive relationship
By Jenny Donnelly / YesterdayAs someone who has experienced many unhealthy qualities in my relationships, getting out was the best decision I could have made for myself.
Life without my father highlighted the importance of role models in my life
By Zach Carter / November 17, 2024I don’t know if my dad knows what I’m up to or if he knows where my life is going. I’m not going to hypothesize about what happens after death, but I hope he knows I miss him every day.
We should return to the childhood artist we leave behind when we grow up
By Charlotte Jons / November 11, 2024When we were little, we explored different art forms, from finger painting to crayon art and sketchbooks. Why did we stop now that we are all grown up?
