The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Remember that President Watts is infinitely replaceable by the same thinking persons because the same people will be doing the hiring that hired him. To build him up as a major factor for change is to make believe he really did end UAB football on his own. UAB will have to succeed in spite of him, and not count on his being replaced for several years. He is an obstacle to be overcome by some route over him or around him because we can't count on him being removed.

The OCS is not FBHC Clark's priority. He needs several new facilities before the OCS will be of great help to his program. The first priority is to build what we don't have at all before building a replacement for something we already have but wish to replace.

In this decade, we are in a time where TENS of millions PER YEAR are needed to maintain a competitive D1 (FBS) football program. To compete at the top levels of C-USA into the 2020s, UAB will have to spend annually about $25 to $30 million. According to the Delta Cost Project, this is about what most FBS and many FCS programs are investing. Since we are building essentially from scratch, (as Jerry Reed might sing) "we have a long way to go and a short time to get there".

(07-28-2015 10:25 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Only conversation I have heard is this.

IPF - Football Complex - Medical Building for research - OCS in that order.

I shake my head at our AD's comments sometimes. It's as if he doesn't listen to anyone.


The key to all this is Watts leaving so Ingram can be his own guy and we can stop this foolishness of having to pay to exist. We have enough money to build steps 1-3 and a down payment on four (OCS) if we didn't have to pay for all our scholarships for three sports for the next five years.

You forgot the track, Attalla.

To some Blazer fans, if Ingram said "hi! How are you doing?", it is considered a verbal misstep.

(07-28-2015 11:54 AM)demiveeman Wrote:  I'd take a 10,000 seat stadium if it meant there was a permanent football structure on campus.

I share that sentiment. However, we do need to average 15k attendance to maintain FBS status, so practically it would probably need to seat at least 20k. UAB would sell so many more season tickets in a reduced capacity stadium. One day...

15k is obsolete before the first concrete pour. 30k or so is about right to start.

As to Ingram, he has yet to give me any reason not to toss him out the door as soon as Watts clears it. If he wants to stay he needs to start listening to people and think before he opens his mouth.

(07-28-2015 11:07 AM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(07-28-2015 10:25 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Only conversation I have heard is this.

IPF - Football Complex - Medical Building for research - OCS in that order.

I shake my head at our AD's comments sometimes. It's as if he doesn't listen to anyone.


The key to all this is Watts leaving so Ingram can be his own guy and we can stop this foolishness of having to pay to exist. We have enough money to build steps 1-3 and a down payment on four (OCS) if we didn't have to pay for all our scholarships for three sports for the next five years.

Ingram's comments make it seem like he and Clark haven't even discussed facilities. Clark has clearly and publicly stated an IPF is a priority for him.

By medical research building, do you mean with an athletics tie in or just another research building over by the hospital?

With an athletics focus...

I agree with the idea of the an on campus stadium being around 30k or so. You can always make expansions, but attendance is trending down overall. I also believe having a smaller stadium fosters a more intimate gameday experience. I'll be happy just to have one at all, really.

Since this is a discussion board.........why don't we build a 15K stadium that would easily be expandable to 30K+?

Is the construction cost savings not really enough to justify it, i.e. the cost of building a 15K stadium isn't really that different than a 30K?

(07-28-2015 02:08 PM)jthrashr Wrote:  Since this is a discussion board.........why don't we build a 15K stadium that would easily be expandable to 30K+?

Is the construction cost savings not really enough to justify it, i.e. the cost of building a 15K stadium isn't really that different than a 30K?

Expansion might have to happen rather quickly. The NCAA has a rule that you have to have an average of about 15K over a 2 year period to stay D1, but it seems they have been pretty lenient with it.
I imagine there is a probabationary period that follows to allow a team to get to the average. I've never heard of a team being demoted because of attendance.
Wouldn't be a problem w/NCAA but perception???

3. Average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football contests over a rolling two-year period. [Bylaw 20.9.7.3]
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/AMA/Division%20I...8%2010.pdf

Official capacity of Charlotte's stadium is 15,314. They've not announced any firm expansion plans.




Partnering to do a 40,000-50,000 seat stadium might be best for the city but not for UAB.

15,000 seat stadium??? We have averaged 20,000 in the not too distant past? A 15,000 seat stadium is for FCS programs.

(07-28-2015 12:51 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  To some Blazer fans, if Ingram said "hi! How are you doing?", it is considered a verbal misstep.

That may be so to a select few. The proof is in the pudding and so far it tastes bad.

I have tried to stay positive through all this with him but he is making it difficult. Believe it or not we have some serious issues with our new AD. I HOPE it improves quickly.

Folks be ready to mobilize again. I'll let you know when if needed.

(07-28-2015 02:26 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Official capacity of Charlotte's stadium is 15,314. They've not announced any firm expansion plans.




Partnering to do a 40,000-50,000 seat stadium might be best for the city but not for UAB.

Haven't announced expansion plans but the stadium was built with expansion as a definite probability. I think, similar to FIU, the Charlotte stadium has planned stages...
https://metroatlantic.wordpress.com/2012...n-history/

I'll take anything on-campus 15k+. Literally anything. Seats could be used commodes, IDK.

The real question everyone is dying to know is:

Will we issue stadium certificates?

(07-28-2015 12:51 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  To some Blazer fans, if Ingram said "hi! How are you doing?", it is considered a verbal misstep.

When the hell did he say that? He never asks how we are doing. That would certainly be a first.

Oh and we are not planning on a 15,000 seat stadium. That is bunk. Think larger.

(07-28-2015 02:37 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(07-28-2015 02:26 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Official capacity of Charlotte's stadium is 15,314. They've not announced any firm expansion plans.




Partnering to do a 40,000-50,000 seat stadium might be best for the city but not for UAB.

Haven't announced expansion plans but the stadium was built with expansion as a definite probability. I think, similar to FIU, the Charlotte stadium has planned stages...
https://metroatlantic.wordpress.com/2012...n-history/

Here is the 40,000 seat rendering:



There are also plans for what the stadium would look like at 25,000ish, but those were never released. My guess is we go with a 25,000 seat option, but never see the 40,000 seat option realized. We have BoA stadium to use if we need a big time venue.

I like CUSA, but CUSA teams are not going to draw 25,000+ routinely and few big time opponents are going to be willing to play us on campus regardless of stadium capacity.

(07-28-2015 02:49 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  Oh and we are not planning on a 15,000 seat stadium. That is bunk. Think larger.

15, 001?

I may get hammered for this, but the stadium Alabama State built just off the interstate in Montgomery looks about right to me, and I'd take it in a minute.