UAB Blazers football

NCAAFootballSchool
CurrentSeason = 2008 UAB Blazers football team
TeamName = UAB Blazers Football


ImageSize = 130px
HeadCoachDisplay = Neil Callaway
HeadCoachLink = Neil Callaway
HeadCoachYear = 2nd
HCWins = 3
HCLosses = 12 (1-8 in C-USA)
HCTies =
Stadium = Legion Field
StadCapacity = 71,594
StadSurface = Grass
Location = Birmingham, Alabama
ConferenceDisplay= C-USA
ConferenceLink = Conference USA
ConfDivision = East
FirstYear = 1991
AthlDirectorDisp = Brian Mackin
AthlDirectorLink = Brian Mackin
WebsiteName = UABSports.com
WebsiteURL = http://uabsports.cstv.com
ATWins = 91
ATLosses = 97
ATTies = 2
ATPercentage = .484
BowlWins = 0
BowlLosses = 1
BowlTies =
AllAmericans = 2
color1 = Green
Color1Hex = 008000
color2 = White
Color2Hex = FFFFFF
color3 = Old Gold
Color3Hex = CFB53B
FightSong =
MascotDisplay = Dragon (Blaze)
MascotLink = Blaze (mascot)
MarchingBand = UAB Marching Blazers http://uabmarchingblazers.org

The UAB Blazers football team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), [ [http://www2.ncaa.org/portal/sports/fall/football/mens/ NCAA Football divisions] ] competing as a member of the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA). UAB plays its home games at Legion Field, which is located off-campus in Birmingham, Alabama. With a capacity of 71,594, Legion Field is currently the third largest college football stadium in the state of Alabama.

History

The origins of football at UAB begin with the play of an organized club football team in 1989.cite news
last =Sims
first =Neal
title =Game Week: Bowden helps put UAB on I-A map
work =The Birmingham News
date =August 26, 1996 ] After two years competing as a club football team, on March 13, 1991, UAB President Charles McCallum and athletic director Gene Bartow announced that the university would compete in football as a NCAA Division III team beginning in the fall of 1991, with Jim Hilyer serving as the first head coach. [http://uabsports.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/albr/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/ImportantDatesInUABFB-08 2008 UAB Football Media Guide] "Important Dates In UAB Football". UAB Sports Information Department, UABsports.com. Accessed September 21, 2008.] From 1991 to 1992, UAB competed as a Division III Independent, and during this period, the Blazers compiled an 11-6-2 overall record. During this period, the Blazers played their first all-time game on September 7, 1991, a 28-0 loss at Millsaps, and notched their first all-time win on September 21, 1991, a 34-21 victory at Washington & Lee. [http://uabsports.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/albr/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/RecordsHistoryI-08 2008 UAB Football Media Guide] "Year-by-Year Results". UAB Sports Information Department, UABsports.com. Accessed September 21, 2008.]

After only a pair of seasons at the Division III level, a NCAA ruling resulted in the Blazers being reclassified as a I-AA team for the 1993 season.cite news
last =Bolton
first =Clyde
title =UAB football scratching and clawing
work =The Birmingham News
date =May 23, 1993 ] The reclassification was a result of the NCAA prohibiting a school's athletic program from being multi-divisional, and since UAB already competed in Division I in other sports, the move became necessary. In their first game as a I-AA team, the Blazers would lose to Troy State 37-3 before a home crowd on September 6, 1993.cite news
last =Bolton
first =Clyde
title =First game a giant step for the Blazers
work =The Birmingham News
date =September 10, 1993 ] By 1994, the Blazers would play their first I-A opponent against Kansas. Following the 1994 season, coach Hilyer would resign with Watson Brown being announced as the program's second all-time coach on January 2, 1995.

During the 1995 season the Blazers would notch their first all-time victory over a I-A opponent on the road against North Texas by a final score of 19-14.cite news
last =Martin
first =Wayne
title =UAB gets first win over I-A opponent
work =The Birmingham News
date =October 15, 1995 ] From 1993 to 1995, UAB competed as a Division I-AA Independent, and during this period compiled a 21-12 overall record before making the jump to Division I-A for the 1996 season.

On November 9, 1995, UAB was officially informed by the NCAA that the school had met all requirements for reclassification, and as such the Blazers would enter the 1996 season as an I-A Independent.cite news
last =Martin
first =Wayne
title =UAB football approved for I-A
work =The Birmingham News
date =November 9, 1995 ] In their first I-A game, UAB was defeated by in-state rival Auburn 29-0, and would finish their first I-A season with a 5-6 overall record. Already a participating member in other sports, on November 13, 1996, Conference USA commissioner Mike Slive announced that UAB would be admitted to the league as a football playing member for the 1999 season.cite news
last =Martin
first =Wayne
title =Blazers football gets league ok for '99
work =The Birmingham News
date =November 15, 1996 ]

After being the face of the program for twelve years, on December 9, 2006, Watson Brown resigned as UAB's head coach to take the head coaching position at Tennessee Tech.cite news
last =Segrest
first =Doug
coauthor =Steve Irvine
title =Brown says decision wasn't easy: Coach resigns from UAB and takes job at Tennessee Tech
work =The Birmingham News
date =December 10, 2006 ] Following Brown's resignation, the school's coaching searched focused on LSU assistant coach Jimbo Fisher, but the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees expressed concern over the cost of a potential Fisher contract, though some sources close to the situation have speculated on other possible motivations.cite web
author = Ben Cook
title = Alabama coaching search takes bizarre twist
publisher = LindysSports.com
date= December 17, 2006
url = http://www.al.com/ncaafootball/lindys/index.ssf?/base/sports/116638591067080.xml&coll=9
accessdate = 2008-09-21] Ultimately, former Alabama player and Georgia offensive coordinator Neil Callaway was named head coach on December 17, 2006.cite web
author = Tom Dienhart
title = Report: Georgia aide gets UAB job
publisher = SportingNews.com
date= December 17, 2006
url = http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=159913
accessdate = 2008-09-21] Callaway led the Blazers to the school's worst season (2-10), dropping the program's all-time record under .500 for the first time in school history.

Since the transition to I-A, UAB has made a habit of playing many of college football's traditional powers. In 2000, UAB achieved a monumental victory by beating LSU in Baton Rouge. In 2004, UAB reached yet another milestone earning their first bowl trip in school history, the Hawaii Bowl. Though young, UAB's football program continues to make large strides both in on the field success and in attendance. UAB plays its home football games at Legion Field, where the latest average attendance is 23,139 according to NCAA figures. [cite web|url=http://www.ncaa.org/stats/football/attendance/2006/2006_football_attendance.pdf |title=2006 National College Football Attendance |publisher=NCAA |format=PDF |accessmonthday=March 30 |accessyear=2007]

Head Coaches

Conference affiliations

*1991-92, Division III Independent
*1993-95, Division I-AA Independent
*1996-98, Division I-A Independent
*1999-present, Conference USA

Rivalry Game

Battle for the Bones - Memphis Tigers

tadium

Located to the west of campus in the Graymont neighborhood of Birmingham, the Blazers play their home games at Legion Field. Construction on the stadium began in 1926 and was completed in 1927 with a seating capacity of 21,000.cite news
last =McPhillips
first =Alex
title ="Gray Lady" admits to 75 -Legion Field's history goes beyond Iron Bowl rivalry
work =The Birmingham News
date =July 25, 2002 ] Subsequent expansions would raise its capacity to 81,000 at its peak only to have it reduced to 72,000 with the removal of the upper deck in 2004.cite news
last =Tomberlin
first =Michael
title =Upper deck at Legion Field closed
work =The Birmingham News
date =August 19, 2004 ] The Blazers have utilized the facility since the inaugural 1991 season, and have played all but two home games at Legion Field throughout their history. The only home games not played at Legion included a contest at Lawson Field in 1992, and a contest at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1998.cite news
last =Rubin
first =Adam
title =UAB christens Met as football venue
work =The Birmingham News
date =November 17, 1998 ] At present, UAB is under contract with the City of Birmingham to utilize the facility through the 2013 season.cite news
last =Wright
first =Barnett
title =UAB contract at Legion Field set to 2013
work =The Birmingham News
date =September 29, 2004 ]

The prospect of constructing an on-campus stadium has been debated since the mid-1990s. By 1999, former head coach Watson Brown stated that UAB would eventually need to construct a facility comparable to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium at Louisville.cite news
last =Rubin
first =Adam
title =Brown wants on-campus stadium like Louisville's
work =The Birmingham News
date =October 28, 1999 ] As of 2006, the prospect of an on-campus facility was still mentioned as a distant priority for the school to undertake.cite news
last =Irvine
first =Steve
title =Updates on facility improvements, AD search expected this month
work =The Birmingham News
date =June 2, 2006 ]

Current NFL Players

References