A press release sent out early Monday afternoon revealed that UAB will conduct a press conference at 5 p.m. ET today.
According to WBRC-TV‘s Alan Collins, president Ray Watts and athletic director Mark Ingram are expected to announce that football will be reinstated at the Alabama school. The move would come nearly six months to the day after Watts, in a highly-controversial decision that could ultimately lead to his ouster, shuttered the football program, citing rising costs associated with the sport.
It also comes after a review of football’s future at the school was expected to determine that sport shouldn’t to be reinstated.
BREAKING new UAB AD Mark Ingram will form committee to raise $13-14 million to upgrade athletic facilities includes practice field
— Alan Collins (@fox6alancollins) June 1, 2015
The upgrade in faculties doesn't not include on campus stadium
— Alan Collins (@fox6alancollins) June 1, 2015
New coaches office also included
— Alan Collins (@fox6alancollins) June 1, 2015
Fund raising effort lead by UAB AD Mark Ingram would not include on campus stadium
— Alan Collins (@fox6alancollins) June 1, 2015
Part of the decision to reinstate the sport was likely tied to the fact that the athletic department would’ve been forced to find a new conference as their current league home, Conference USA, had already stated that they couldn’t remain a member without football.
While it’s a move in the right direction, how the program will reconstitute its roster remains to be seen -- and how long it will take to get the program back up to FBS standards is very much up in the air as well. After the early December announcement that the university was abandoning the sport, Blazer players were permitted to transfer to other schools without sitting out a season, and most, if not all, of the top Blazers chose that option.
It will take years for the football program to overcome Watts’ misguided decision, regardless of what kind of spin the president puts on it later on today.