Alabama-Birmingham won its first-ever bowl game Tuesday night, defeating Northern Illinois 37-13 in the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl. A first bowl win, especially against a fellow conference champion, and an 11-3 season is always something to celebrate.
It's especially impressive considering UAB's football program didn't exist as recently as two years ago.
The program was shut down following the 2014 season, but that decision was reversed in June 2015 following six months of public outcry and community support.
Bill Clark's team went 6-6 in 2014, but even with the reversal the decision put the squad on the sidelines for two seasons.