UAB Alumni President Speaks about Return of Football
Andrew Yeager | June 2, 2015
========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
[_wp_attached_file] => Array
(
[0] => 2015/06/Wes-Smith.jpg
)
[_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
(
[0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:300;s:4:"file";s:21:"2015/06/Wes-Smith.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"Wes-Smith-336x168.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:168;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"Wes-Smith-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:19:"Wes-Smith-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"Wes-Smith-470x235.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:235;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:21:"Wes-Smith-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
)
[_media_credit] => Array
(
[0] =>
)
[_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
(
[0] => UAB
)
[_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
(
[0] =>
)
[_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
(
[0] => 1
)
[_imagify_data] => Array
(
[0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:105144;s:14:"optimized_size";i:54357;s:7:"percent";d:48.299999999999997;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:49:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Wes-Smith.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:26839;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10394;s:7:"percent";d:61.270000000000003;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Wes-Smith-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6265;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4662;s:7:"percent";d:25.59;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Wes-Smith-336x168.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:8699;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4988;s:7:"percent";d:42.659999999999997;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Wes-Smith-600x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:22575;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10420;s:7:"percent";d:53.840000000000003;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Wes-Smith-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:21152;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13311;s:7:"percent";d:37.07;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Wes-Smith-470x235.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:14314;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6633;s:7:"percent";d:53.659999999999997;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/06/Wes-Smith-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5300;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3949;s:7:"percent";d:25.489999999999998;}}}
)
[_imagify_status] => Array
(
[0] => success
)
)
1637566061
1433251885
The return of UAB’s football, bowling and rifle teams represents the work of many students, faculty, alumni and community members. One man who was in the thick of it is Wes Smith. He’s president of the UAB National Alumni Society. He also led the task force that reviewed the decision to cut those athletic programs.
The return of football though comes with a condition. The university will cap its contribution to athletics at $20 million a year with any deficit, projected at $17 million over five years, covered by other sources. Smith tells WBHM’s Andrew Yeager he doesn’t see that as a caveat. He says that’s reality.