While the UAB administration has been lacking in support of bring back the football program, the same can’t be said for Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky.
Banowsky is hopeful that the UAB football program is reinstated, and thinks that the Blazers could turn into a Cinderella story going forward.
“I think UAB has a chance of becoming a real strong Cinderella brand nationally,” Banowsky said. “There’s been so much national attention paid to UAB that they would have brand equity right out of the gate.
“People would root for them coast to coast. People like to see the underdog rise up.”
Banowsky and other league officials have largely been silent on UAB’s decision since Dec. 2. Banowsky criticized the decision then, saying he thought it was a mistake, but has otherwise said little about UAB.
However, Banowsky spoke at length about UAB Thursday afternoon, saying he’s been heartened by the outpouring of support for football there.
“You don’t really appreciate how much you love something until it’s gone or is in jeopardy of being taken away,” he said. “At that point, you realize you’ve taken it for granted. It’s my hope that this all becomes a call for action at UAB.
“We hope they bring football back. I’ve been amazed by the support, by the interest, that we’ve seen in the Birmingham community. The conference would welcome that and would work with them on a timeline to get them back” to playing in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
“We’re anxious to read the report from College Sports Solutions and learn from their independent perspective whether football is sustainable or not,” h
UAB’s attendance has been among the poorest in Conference USA, and at 10,548 per game, was second to last nationally in FBS in 2013. However, last season, when the Blazers won four of their first six games, attendance swelled to 26,585 per game.
“I believe their program would have the full support of UAB constituents,” Banowsky said.
“In the past, they’ve had pockets of people who didn’t support the program. I don’t think that would be the case now.”
“It’s been my experience that Western Kentucky, which has a great basketball tradition, and Old Dominion, which has a great basketball tradition, have been able to derive great value from football and make it work. There’s no reason that UAB shouldn’t be able to do that.”
Banowsky sent a letter to Watts two weeks ago, with copies going to all 13 other Conference USA presidents, laying out where C-USA stands on UAB’s future in the league.
Sources familiar with the letter said UAB was told that if the school doesn’t reinstate football, the C-USA Executive Committee almost certainly will vote on June 8 to suspend the Blazers from the league. C-USA bylaws require schools to offer field an FBS team.
Sources said that there was no support among league presidents for allowing UAB to compete in Conference USA without football.
This is just more ammo for the #FreeUAB movement and the supports hoping for the football program to be brought back. With people like Banowsky coming out publicly in support of UAB, it makes the decision to terminate the program look stranger and stranger by the day.