UAB shuts down football program
— -- UAB has shut down its football program, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad on Tuesday.
School officials had said they were evaluating the viability of UAB football, and coach Bill Clark told ESPN.com on Sunday that he expected the school to end a program that has struggled financially.
UAB finished 6-6 this season and is eligible to play in a bowl game should the Blazers get an invitation. Players will meet later Tuesday to decide if they want to play should a bowl berth be extended.
Playing in the shadows of Alabama and Auburn and lacking an on-campus stadium, UAB has struggled to develop a fan base and consistent attendance in the nearly two decades since it joined the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Average attendance doubled this year under Clark to more than 20,000 fans per game, but reports circulated that administrators might kill the program even as the Blazers compiled their best record in a decade.
Eliminating football would jeopardize UAB's membership in Conference USA and associated programs including the school's marching band. Members of the band and cheerleaders joined in the protest at the administrative offices.
The last FBS school to eliminate football was Pacific in 1995.
ESPN's Joe Schad and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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