Students at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) voted in favor of a per-semester charge of $25 to go toward the reinstatement of the football, bowling, and rifle athletic programs.
UAB President Ray Watts announced in Dec. 2014 the school would shut down those three programs, ESPN noted, citing financial difficulties. But a group of alumni and supporters rallied enough fund raising to reverse the decision a matter of months later, and now the UAB student body appears to be showing their support.
"This is a historic vote for UAB," John R. Jones, the school's vice president of student affairs, said in a press release. "It is the first time our students have requested a fee increase. It is inspiring to see them demonstrate their passion for UAB Athletics and make their voices heard on something important to them."
Garrett Stephens, the president of UAB's Undergraduate Student Government Association, said the group and the school's students overwhelmingly were supportive of the proposal. UAB is aiming to raise $30 million in the next five years through its Finish the Drive campaign, and the $25-per-semester is charge is expected to make up 10 percent of that total.
"It is because of the student body that these three sports are returning in a sustainable way," Stephens said in the release. "The percentage of students in support aligns with the Senators who voted in the original vote and further solidifies our role on campus as the voice of the student body."
Finish the Drive's next fundraising goal is $4.5 million by Jan. 15, 2016. The UAB football team is on pace to return to the Conference-USA and the football field by 2017, but the school extended the contract of its head coach, Bill Clark, regardless.
"We still have a lot of work to do in our Finish the Drive campaign, and I can't overemphasize the significance of this result to what we are accomplishing," UAB Athletic Director Mark Ingram said in the release. "This kind of support from students will not go unnoticed by our current and future Blazer coaches and student athletes, and it will inspire success. I'd like to say a big thank you to our students, and Garrett Stephens and the many student leaders who made this possible."
