Amanda Knapp
The UAB Blazers are the basketball team of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The men's basketball team began in 1978, and the women's team has since won 4 conference championships, made 2 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 5 WNIT appearances as recently as 2013. The men's team has had 31 winning seasons in 34 years, including memorable wins over Virginia, Kentucky, and Louisville, and has been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll several times.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the school | University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazers |
| Year of the start of the basketball program | 1978 |
| First head coach | Gene Bartow |
| Nickname | Blazers |
| Mascot | A green dragon named Blaze |
| Former mascots | A cartoonish Nordic warrior named Blaze the Viking; a rooster named Beauregard T. Rooster |
| Home stadium | Bartow Arena |
| Number of conference championships | 4 |
| Number of NCAA Tournament appearances | 2 |
| Number of WNIT appearances | 5 |
| Number of WBI championships | 1 |
| Number of winning seasons | 31 |
| Number of wins over Auburn | 10 |
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What You'll Learn
UAB Blazers' history
The UAB Blazers are the sports teams of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The team's nickname, the Blazers, was adopted in 1977 as it paid homage to the university's location in Birmingham, known as 'the Magic City' due to its rapid industrialization. The name also embodies strength, speed, power, and agility – all qualities that make up an excellent athlete.
The UAB Blazers have been a powerhouse in college athletics for decades, particularly in their rivalry with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The Blazers have competed in various conferences over the years, including the Sun Belt Conference (1978-1991), the Great Midwest Conference (1980-1991), Conference USA (1992-1995), and the American Athletic Conference (1996-2023).
The men's basketball team has been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll several times in school history, including as recently as 2010, and has achieved a high ranking of #9 in the nation. The team has had success in tournament appearances, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 2004 and 2011, and has won one National Invitational Tournament Championship in 2005. The Blazers played their home games at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex until 1988 and have since played in the Bartow Arena, where they have won more than 80% of their games.
The UAB Blazers football team has also had its share of successes and milestones. The team transitioned to Division I-A in 1996 and joined Conference USA in 1999. In 2000, the Blazers achieved a monumental victory by defeating the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. In 2004, the team earned its first Top 25 ranking and first bowl invitation, although they lost to the University of Hawai'i in the Hawaii Bowl. In 2018, the Blazers completed their best season to date, finishing with a school record of 11-3 and winning their first bowl game in school history, the Boca Raton Bowl, against Northern Illinois.
In addition to basketball and football, the UAB Blazers have also excelled in other sports such as men's soccer, golf, and women's basketball. The men's soccer team has made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including a Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight appearance in 1999. The golf program has gained recognition, making seven appearances in the NCAA Men's Golf Championship tournament and producing successful professional golfers such as Graeme McDowell and Garrett Osborn. The women's basketball team has also achieved success, winning four conference championships, making two NCAA Tournament appearances, and five WNIT appearances as recently as 2013.
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Blazers' mascot
The UAB Blazers are the intercollegiate athletic programs representing the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Blazers' name was chosen in 1978, the same year the school's athletics program effectively began with the creation of a men's basketball team. The name was chosen by students, including Tommy Burns, a history student and early participant in UAB's Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter. Burns suggested 'Trailblazers' as a name, inspired by the Portland Trailblazers NBA team. However, this was considered too long, and so Blazers was chosen as a shortened version.
The UAB Blazers' colours are green and gold, and their mascot is a friendly, fire-breathing European dragon named Blaze (officially Blaze the Dragon). Blaze was introduced on January 6, 1996, at a basketball game. He is the third UAB mascot, the first being an unnamed pink furry dragon, which was introduced in 1978 but only lasted one season due to its unpopularity. The second mascot, used from 1979 to 1992, was a chicken called Beauregard T. Rooster, originally worn by UAB employee Frank Sutherland as a Halloween costume. This was replaced by a Viking warrior named Blazer the Warrior, but this was retired after one season as it scared children.
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Blazers' women's basketball
Blazers women's basketball refers to the women's basketball team of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, commonly known as UAB. The UAB Blazers compete in the American Athletic Conference and have enjoyed successes such as their victory over North Texas in an American Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal.
UAB's women's basketball team is one of many sports programmes offered by the university. Other sports offered by UAB include men's basketball, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, golf, rifle, and tennis.
The UAB Blazers have their own fight song and victory song, which are often played at sporting events to rally the team and celebrate victories. The university also offers a range of services and resources to support its student-athletes, including academic services, athletic performance tracking, and a kids club.
The official website of UAB Blazers provides information on game schedules, ticketing, and team rosters. It also features news updates, scores, and highlights from past games. The website likely provides additional details on the women's basketball programme, including player profiles, coaching staff bios, and any recent achievements or milestones.
Women's basketball at UAB fosters a sense of community and school spirit. It provides opportunities for students to develop athletic skills, leadership qualities, and teamwork abilities. The team's successes contribute to the university's athletic reputation and offer a source of pride for the student body and alumni.
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Blazers' men's basketball
Blazers men's basketball represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The 2023-24 season was the Blazers' first as members of the American Athletic Conference. The team plays home games at the 8,508-seat Bartow Arena, named after Coach Gene Bartow, who built the men's basketball program from scratch in 1978.
The Blazers started their athletics program with the creation of men's basketball in 1978. Setting high standards from the start, UAB was able to lure Gene Bartow away from his post as the head coach at UCLA to start the Blazers program. Known as the "Father of UAB athletics," Coach Bartow was able to guide the Blazers to early success by reaching the NCAA tournament in just their third season.
Since their inaugural season, the Blazers have made 17 appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament and 13 appearances in the National Invitational Tournament. They have also appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) once, with a record of 0-1. UAB has retired four jersey numbers, which now hang from the rafters of Bartow Arena. This honour is bestowed only on players who earn AP All-America honours and complete their degrees at UAB.
The Blazers have had several players drafted into the NBA, including Oliver Robinson (24th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs), Walter Sharpe (32nd overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics), Steve Mitchell (36th overall pick by the Washington Bullets), and Robert Vaden (54th overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats). Other former UAB players who have gone on to play in the NBA include Alan Ogg and Stanley Jackson.
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Blazers' football
Blazers football refers to the football team of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The UAB Blazers began their athletics program with the creation of a men's basketball team in 1978. The Blazers football program, however, started in the early 1990s, with Jim Hilyer as the first head coach, from 1991 to 1994.
Beginning with the first NCAA Division III football team in 1991, the UAB Blazers moved to Division I-AA in 1993 and transitioned to Division I-A in 1996. In 1999, they joined Conference USA. The team has had several head coaches over the years, including Watson Brown, who coached from 1995 to the end of the 2006 season, and Neil Callaway, who was named head coach after a deal with Jimbo Fisher fell through.
The UAB Blazers have had success in both men's and women's basketball. The men's basketball team has amassed one of the best all-time winning percentages in college basketball, with 31 winning seasons in 34 years. They have had memorable wins over prominent teams such as Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, Alabama, and Florida, among others. The men's team has been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll multiple times and has achieved a high ranking of #9 in the nation.
The UAB Blazers women's basketball team has also achieved notable success. They have won 4 conference championships, made 2 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 5 WNIT appearances as recently as 2013. The women's team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the 1999-2000 season, the Elite Eight of the WNIT, and won the WBI championship in 2011.
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Frequently asked questions
UAB basketball is the athletics program of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, commonly known as UAB.
The UAB men's basketball team is called the UAB Blazers. The school's women's basketball team is also called the Blazers, but they are often referred to as UAB women's basketball to differentiate them from the men's team.
UAB basketball plays in Conference USA.
