#FreeUAB is more than football. It's the essence of UAB.

To be candid, I'm not a huge football fan. But the #FreeUAB movement is about so more than that.

I came to UAB in 2010 after a REALLY rough freshman year. I moved 700 miles away from home to take a spot on the golf team. I had no family nor did I know anyone in Birmingham. And yet, almost five years later, I'm still living here. Why? Because UAB is the family that took me in and gave me a chance when I needed it most. And I never turn my back on family.

I won tournaments, set school records, and ran stadiums as a student-athlete. I volunteered with the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and gave my blood, sweat and tears to the athletic program. And athletics has rewarded me right back.

I've met my best friends, teammates and future bridesmaids through UAB. I've been afforded amazing work opportunities, because I had "UAB golfer" on my resume. So by taking away football, it cheapens the experience for the rest of us -- especially student-athletes. Women's scholarships will be cut drastically (oh hey there, Title IX). That means fewer women's teams, fewer students in green and gold, and hundreds of people that will never say the words "Go Blazers."

Every UAB student has a fire within them. And we will not go down without a fight.

Ever faithful, ever loyal.

Jaime Ritter