UAB 2017 Football Schedule Released

The 2014 UAB season ended with a bang as they defeated rival Southern Miss 45-24 to make the Blazers bowl eligible with a 6-6 record. The UAB family thought it might have a chance to play in a December bowl game. Little did they know they would have to wait until September of 2017 for another game on the gridiron.

UAB President Ray Watts decided to cut the football, rifle, and bowling programs based on a campus-wide strategic planning initiative that outlined what priorities on campus needed better funding. After several protests and campaigning, President Ray Watts reinstated all three programs on June 1, 2015.

The UAB football program has taken major steps since the reinstatement. UAB hit the recruiting trail and already has one of the top recruiting classes in Conference USA. The Blazers were also approved for a new $22.5 million practice facility that is currently under construction. One of the final steps? Finding out who the Blazers would play.

UAB’s schedule was released yesterday and like the roster itself, it has some new faces. With the addition of Old Dominion and Charlotte to Conference USA, UAB will now play in the west division.

2017 Schedule

9/2 Alabama A&M

9/9 @ Ball State

9/16 Coastal Carolina

9/23 @ North Texas*

9/30 BYE

10/7 Louisiana Tech*

10/14 Middle Tennessee State*

10/21 @ Charlotte*

10/28 @ Southern Miss*

11/4 Rice*

11/11 @ UTSA*

11/18 @ Florida

11/25 UTEP*

*-Conference game

Dates are subject to change

Important Notes

• Alabama A&M - UAB leads all-time series 1-0 (41-14 in 2014)
• Ball State - First meeting, also first ever MAC opponent for UAB
• Coastal Carolina - First meeting, Chanticleers started football in 2003 and will be joining the Sun Belt in 2017
• Charlotte - First meeting and the 49ers’ first trip to Alabama
• Rice - The Owls won the last two meetings by a combined eight points
• UTEP - This will be the Miners’ seventh road game of their 2017 season

Six opponents for UAB went to a bowl game in 2016

• North Texas, fell to Army 38-31 in Heart of Dallas Bowl
• Louisiana Tech, beat Navy 48-45 in Armed Forces Bowl. The Bulldogs were also the
• C-USA West Champions
• Middle Tennessee St., lost to Hawaii 52-35 in Hawaii Bowl
• Southern Miss, won 28-21 over UL-Lafayette in New Orleans Bowl
• UTSA, defeated by New Mexico 23-20 in New Mexico Bowl
• Florida, beat Iowa 30-3 in Outback Bowl. The Gators were also the SEC East Champions