By: Stephen Haymond
The UAB Football team made headlines this week when they announced that their entire roster had signed up for a players association, Athletes.org.
With the introduction of money being given to college athletes through the recent “NIL” system established in July of 2021, the discussion has been ongoing both in public and in court regarding the best way to pay college athletes.
Trent Dilfer, former NFL quarterback and current UAB Blazers head coach called his team in for a voluntary meeting in April and told them about the opportunity to be had among a fast changing college football landscape. This move theoretically gives them a seat at the table moving forward into the future if College Players salaries are ever introduced into discussions with the NCAA.
The University itself has still yet to comment on the move and it remains unclear what exactly their stance would be or even if they will respond at this current juncture.
UAB student and communications major Brylee Smith says that despite the recent step into the national spotlight, attendance has been a problem recently for the blazers
“I know that’s something that we discussed in classes even, speaking of communications and public relations speaking on the football teams behalf, wondering how do we get more students to come, so far we haven’t come up with an answer”
Another UAB student and massive football fan Brett Gaulman has had a different experience.
“Football games here are pretty interesting, normally always packed. The energy’s great, great time. I haven’t been to a game that wasn’t packed”Protective Stadium, where UAB and the Birmingham Stallions play
The UAB Football team made headlines this week when they announced that their entire roster had signed up for a players association, Athletes.org.
With the introduction of money being given to college athletes through the recent “NIL” system established in July of 2021, the discussion has been ongoing regarding the best way to pay college athletes.
Trent Dilfer, former NFL quarterback and current UAB Blazers head coach called his team in for a voluntary meeting in April and told them about the opportunity to be had among a fast changing college football landscape. This move theoretically gives them a seat at the table moving forward into the future if College Players salaries are ever introduced into discussions with the NCAA.
The University itself has still yet to comment on the move and it remains unclear what exactly their stance would be or even if they will respond at this current juncture.
UAB student and communications major Brylee Smith says that despite the recent step into the national spotlight, attendance has been a problem recently for the blazers
“I know that’s something that we discussed in classes even, speaking of communications and public relations speaking on the football teams behalf, wondering how do we get more students to come, so far we haven’t come up with an answer”
Another UAB student and massive football fan Brett Gaulman has had a different experience.
“Football games here are pretty interesting, normally always packed. The energy’s great, great time. I haven’t been to a game that wasn’t packed”
He is very supportive of the team’s decision to join a players association.
“It could be good for the players it could be good for the university it just depends on how they go about it”
It seems only time will tell if the UAB player’s decision to collectively join a players association will have any effect.
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