According to multiple reports, the University of Alabama-Birmingham will shut down their football program this week after firing AD Brian Mackin.
BREAKING: UAB is firing athletic director Brian Mackin & will announce later this week it will be shutting down football program per source.
— Thayer Evans (@ThayerEvansTLA) November 30, 2014
The University of Alabama-Birmingham is part of the University of Alabama system where of which the board of trustee’s oversees the funding for Alabama (otherwise known as the Crimson Tide), Alabama at Huntsville and Alabama at Birmingham. What makes maters interesting regarding this pretty surprising development is the fact that UAB has become bowl eligible for the first time this season since 2004. It’s also the third time they’ve become bowl eligible in the school’s history.
Currently part of Conference USA you can’t help but wonder the reason’s behind the apparent axing of the football program and if any other sports will be shut down as well.
UAB also looks as if they’ll be the first FBS football program to close it’s doors since the University of the Pacific did so in 1995.
h/t: Deadspin