UAB reportedly set to shut down football program

Not long after becoming bowl eligible for the third time in its existence, the UAB football program may be shutting down.

Per USA Today, the school "has given indications the program will shut down this week and that (athletic director Brian) Mackin is working on a separation agreement from the university."

SI.com also reported that Mackin is parting ways with the school and that an announcement would be made about the (lack of a) future of the football program on Thursday. Coach Bill Clark told ESPN that he feared the program would be shut down.

"I think it's going to happen," Clark said. "Unless something changes before the weekend ends, I think it's over. I think the odds are very high it ends this week. To shut the doors? That's sad."

On Saturday, UAB beat Southern Mississippi 45-24 to be 6-6 and eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2008. Clark was hired before the 2014 season and had signed a three-year deal.

There were indications that a possible shutdown has been in the works for a while. Some boosters, including Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White, wrote in a letter earlier in November that trustees were looking at the possibility of shuttering the program.

The school, which is part of the University of Alabama system, plays football at Legion Field in Birmingham.

The last FBS-level program to drop football was Pacific in 1995. UAB started as a Division III football team in 1991 and moved up FBS in 1996. It joined Conference USA in 1999. Without a football program, the school's standing in Conference USA in other sports is tenuous.

For more UAB news, visit BlazerSportsReport.com

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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