Ole Miss to Play UAB

UAB announced today they will play Ole Miss in a home and home over the next several years. We have been begging to get Memphis off the schedule and they decide to trade them with UAB. I live in Birmingham and am excited to see the Rebels will be coming here to play, but I could have probably thought of a few better opponents that would be the same caliber as UAB that I would have rather played. Folks, Legion Field aint what it used to be. It is a dump and a little scary to go to at night. You thought the atmosphere around the Liberty Bowl was bad, wait until you come to the Ham for a game at Legion Field. Granted Birmingham is a great town with lots of restaurants and bars to go to on Friday and Saturday and we will have a big party for this game, but there will be no atmosphere around the stadium or at the game. I don't know one single UAB fan and I live in the city, so I have no idea who goes to the games. The one thing I do know is they are always passing out free tickets.

I have been saying for years we should be playing Tulane on off years from the LSU game in Baton Rouge. There is one thing that Ole Miss fans love and that is going to New Orleans for a football game. Hundreds of fans go to N.O. each year for the game that is in Baton Rouge. We would definitely have thousands in New Orleans were we to play the Green Wave on a home and home each year.

I know some people are saying there is no difference between Tulane and UAB on the amount of talent. But if we have to go on the road to play a non conference game, why not go to a place where you are going to travel the most fans to and New Orleans is that place.

UAB Release-UAB will play a home-and-home series with Ole Miss with the Blazers traveling to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. in 2009 and the Rebels coming to Birmingham during the 2012 season.
The home-and-home series with a Southeastern Conference school is a first for the Blazers. In fact, Ole Miss will be just the second SEC school to play in Birmingham. UAB is currently in the midst of a five-game series with Mississippi State with three games in Starkville and two at Legion Field.
When UAB plays MSU in Starkville this coming Saturday (Oct. 6), the game will mark the Blazers' 12th contest against SEC competition. All but one of those, however, has been played away from Birmingham.
"Having a home-and-home series with Ole Miss is huge for our program," said Mackin, "and what we want to do more of in the future in regards to our scheduling. It is something our fans can get excited about, and obviously, our players and coaches can look forward to. Ole Miss has an outstanding SEC program with great tradition and is a school close in proximity to us. They have a lot of alumni in the Birmingham area and throughout the southeast."