By Jay Taylor
The dawn of 2026 was a rare wet morning on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California.
For only the 11th time in 137 years, rain fell on the Rose Parade. Still, the Homewood High School band persevered for every inch of the 5.5-mile route. We parents beamed even if the sun didn’t.
In the afternoon, it was reversed. The clouds parted. But our Crimson hearts were overcast as we took the grandest whoopin’ of them all.
The media says it’s doomsday for Alabama. They’ve written obits. The dynasty’s over.
But, but, but…Alabama was the regular season SEC champion. First SEC team to win four ranked games in a row without a bye. First road team ever to win a CFP game.
A week prior you praised them for the 17-0 road comeback.
Pick a lane.
The real story is that Alabama was good, but has a lot of room for improvement. A lot. One question though: What does this have to do with a column about Birmingham?
The answer: UAB can help.
That’s right. Now’s the time for Alabama and UAB to finally end their impasse and play each other in football.
I know. This topic has been parsed ad nauseum over the years. To be frank, I might be a little hazy on the history. Hatfields? McCoys? Sharks? Jets? Montagues? Capulets? Does anyone remember how Alabama-UAB got so out of hand?
It happened before in our state. After a 41-year Iron Bowl hiatus, Alabama and Auburn finally had a “Bury the Hatchet” ceremony in Linn Park in 1948. Yep. They buried an actual hatchet that might still be there somewhere.
As for Alabama vs. UAB, why now?
We all know college football has changed dramatically. Between NIL and the transfer portal, you never know what your team will look like from one year to the next.
Alabama will play nine SEC teams per season going forward. Plus, potentially playoff games. That’s quite a gauntlet. They’ll play at least one P4 team in the regular season as well. Oof.
In 2025, did you know Alabama paid Louisiana Monroe $1.9 million so it could drub the Warhawks 73-0 and lick its wounds after the Florida State debacle? They also ponied up $560,000 for Eastern Illinois. These seem to be the going rates for Group of Five teams and FCS teams, respectively.
But what if Alabama kept that money and deposited it into their NIL collective? Judging by Greg Byrne’s plea in 2024, they could use the extra Benjamins.
How can they do this? Maybe UAB will play for free. Alabama would hold on to a nice chunk of change in their pocket that they could turn around and use to buy some highly ranked players.
On the flip side, why would the Blazers agree to such a deal when they can grab big bucks elsewhere? Tennessee doled out $1.65 million for UAB’s trip to Knoxville. Why give that up and go to Tuscaloosa for nothing?
Recruiting.
Let’s talk about opportunity cost for a minute. I’m no economist, but if I understand opportunity cost correctly, it boils down to this: When UAB spends $14.6 million to renovate Bartow Arena, that’s $14.6 million they can’t spend on something else.
Simple enough, right?
Giving up $1.65 million is basically spending $1.65 million. Is that price tag worth the value of seeing those dragon-adorned helmets in the trenches of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium?
The PR could be well worth the $1.65 million. Not to mention, it’d finally break the ice for future games.
On the January 1 edition of College GameDay, Nick Saban quoted his “golfing buddies in Alabama.”
Paraphrasing, he said those guys were confident in a Bama victory because they couldn’t get their heads around the idea that Indiana is anything more than a basketball school.
Welp, things have changed.
The days of the Alabama-UAB feud should be bygone, too.
Of course, my opinion on this carries no weight.
However, if you’re a golfing buddy of Nick Saban, I’m guessing you have the influence to facilitate a truce.
So, how ‘bout it?
Alabama, save $1.65 million for your NIL collective. UAB, use this opportunity to get the long-coveted game with the Tide.
It’s time for “Bury the Hatchet II.”
Roll Tide. Go Blazers.
Other columns you may enjoy by Jay Taylor:
- 4-Peat on the line, Stallions need you
- Now is Birmingham’s time for major league sports
- A new skyline for Birmingham
- Birmingham, does it make sense to fly out of Atlanta
- The case for an Iceplex at Brookwood Village
- A simple way to merge Birmingham into one great city
Jay Taylor is a freelance writer based in Birmingham, Alabama. He has more than 30 years of experience working in advertising, journalism, marketing, and business. He renovated Kessler Lofts with his family and cofounded the startup TabX in Birmingham. Taylor previously served as president of the Central City Neighborhood Association. Today, he lives in Homewood with his wife and two children.
David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com
No. I don’t want UAB to help the University of Alabama at all. In fact UAB should make it a policy to not play any teams in the state of Alabama because of the way this state has treated UAB and it’s namesake city.
I’ll give Jay Taylor this: he’s consistent about missing the mark in every column, whether it’s demanding United Airlines establish a hub in Birmingham, insisting Birmingham deserves a major league team, or suggesting that UA would ever play UAB in football. He’s either trolling all of us, or actually believes any of the above would ever happen.
And the UAB players have the best hospital system to treat their multiple injuries when they get back to the campus that eve.