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I have not heard anything about moving the student section. Would like to see it moved to center court like Auburn and Samford

Can we also bring back a Blaze statue?

Hopefully one that looks more like the real mascot/logo like this:



But not this atrocity :

(06-09-2023 05:11 PM)TT32 Wrote:  I have not heard anything about moving the student section. Would like to see it moved to center court like Auburn and Samford

Hard to do with a less than half than full building and the main revenue coming from the folks sitting in those seats.

*paying for but not sitting in those seats.

With the renovation creating some suites to house at least some of the Golden 100, perhaps there will be an opportunity to move students closer to the middle of the court.

(06-09-2023 07:10 PM)blazerblazer Wrote:  Can we also bring back a Blaze statue?

Hopefully one that looks more like the real mascot/logo like this:



But not this atrocity :

The latter of those statues can be seen peeking over a fence on 11th St S right after getting off I-65.

Is this being put as a priority over baseball facilities, or are both actively moving forward?

Upgrades for the Bart

I have one of the claws in my house.

(06-09-2023 05:11 PM)TT32 Wrote:  I have not heard anything about moving the student section. Would like to see it moved to center court like Auburn and Samford

Having a rowdy group of college students behind the visiting team’s second half basket sounds like a big advantage.

(06-10-2023 11:40 AM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  

(06-09-2023 05:11 PM)TT32 Wrote:  I have not heard anything about moving the student section. Would like to see it moved to center court like Auburn and Samford

Having a rowdy group of college students behind the visiting team’s second half basket sounds like a big advantage.

Until UAB students learn how students are supposed to act and show some school spirit. They can stay behind the basket. They are no better than our frozen 100.

(06-10-2023 12:23 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  

(06-10-2023 11:40 AM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  

(06-09-2023 05:11 PM)TT32 Wrote:  I have not heard anything about moving the student section. Would like to see it moved to center court like Auburn and Samford

Having a rowdy group of college students behind the visiting team’s second half basket sounds like a big advantage.

Until UAB students learn how students are supposed to act and show some school spirit. They can stay behind the basket. They are no better than our frozen 100.

I would have to agree, except that maybe it's a chicken-and-egg thing. If we put them closer to the side of the court, they MIGHT be more inclined to get involved. But something tells me that every time there was any kind of remote excuse, they wouldn't show up. And we would still have to bribe them with pizza and t-shirts and other giveaways just to get them to come.

- Replace portions of the floor level retractable seating with new seating that will bring spectators closer to the court

The entire lower section of each end zone is retractable. Current end zone configuration is U shaped and I'd bet that entire lower level end zone setup is going away. The new student section retractable seating will be square with the end line and result in student seats being much closer to the court so they can spit fire at opponents.

(06-12-2023 02:36 PM)Plaid Blazer Wrote:  - Replace portions of the floor level retractable seating with new seating that will bring spectators closer to the court

The entire lower section of each end zone is retractable. Current end zone configuration is U shaped and I'd bet that entire lower level end zone setup is going away. The new student section retractable seating will be square with the end line and result in student seats being much closer to the court so they can spit fire at opponents.

Yes, as you describe that I can envision adding club boxes at the concourse level on the ends, moving seating down closer to the court and not in the oval but square with the court.

Any drawings submitted with first stage request?

We've talked about the hope that UAB eventually makes the Big 12. Here's the reality of that. They just put in a request for $176.6 million in public funds to improve their athletic village. Any of you see the BoT even discussing that? Or the state lege approving it?

https://theathletic.com/4617033/2023/06/...ed-article

(06-16-2023 04:59 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  We've talked about the hope that UAB eventually makes the Big 12. Here's the reality of that. They just put in a request for $176.6 million in public funds to improve their athletic village. Any of you see the BoT even discussing that? Or the state lege approving it?

https://theathletic.com/4617033/2023/06/...ed-article

Let’s not compare ourselves to UCF. They have 70,000+ students and collect more in student fees alone than the UAB athletics budget. UCF was always positioned to do this and they did what was required over 20 years to finally achieve it. What they will discover now is they now have to double it to stay there. They are in the club now but it isn’t a given they will stay there (they can ask USF about that). I expect they will become even better, though.

UAB is in its home where we can grow. Even if a few teams move again, we are in our home for the intermediate future. The Big 12 isn’t happening this round. If and when it does, it won’t look anything like the Big 12 of now or the short term. UAB’s path is more likely eastern, depending on shakeups in the ACC down the line.

The situation is no different than it was in the early 2000s — win in football and basketball, build the budgets, grow the attendance, grow the donor base. There is a window to achieve it but will require the same commitment and energy and focus that saved football, and then some. Except there is now a path to get better players and facilities in place and a couple of blockers gone. We can only control ourselves in this scenario.

(06-12-2023 02:36 PM)Plaid Blazer Wrote:  - Replace portions of the floor level retractable seating with new seating that will bring spectators closer to the court

The entire lower section of each end zone is retractable. Current end zone configuration is U shaped and I'd bet that entire lower level end zone setup is going away. The new student section retractable seating will be square with the end line and result in student seats being much closer to the court so they can spit fire at opponents.

You are correct about the endzone seats: the seating in the lower level will be squared off and closer to the basket in both ends as shown in the plans for the Bart renovations.

(06-16-2023 07:10 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  

(06-16-2023 04:59 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  We've talked about the hope that UAB eventually makes the Big 12. Here's the reality of that. They just put in a request for $176.6 million in public funds to improve their athletic village. Any of you see the BoT even discussing that? Or the state lege approving it?

https://theathletic.com/4617033/2023/06/...ed-article

Let’s not compare ourselves to UCF. They have 70,000+ students and collect more in student fees alone than the UAB athletics budget. UCF was always positioned to do this and they did what was required over 20 years to finally achieve it. What they will discover now is they now have to double it to stay there. They are in the club now but it isn’t a given they will stay there (they can ask USF about that). I expect they will become even better, though.

UAB is in its home where we can grow. Even if a few teams move again, we are in our home for the intermediate future. The Big 12 isn’t happening this round. If and when it does, it won’t look anything like the Big 12 of now or the short term. UAB’s path is more likely eastern, depending on shakeups in the ACC down the line.

The situation is no different than it was in the early 2000s — win in football and basketball, build the budgets, grow the attendance, grow the donor base. There is a window to achieve it but will require the same commitment and energy and focus that saved football, and then some. Except there is now a path to get better players and facilities in place and a couple of blockers gone. We can only control ourselves in this scenario.

...generally concur - but if this San Diego State debacle results in the MWC booting them, and SDSU ends up in the PAC or BigXII, either of those will grab at least one more school (SMU is the 'odds-on', for whatever reason - PAC especially, for access to Texas, I reckon) - thus the AAC loses at least one, and perhaps a few more from the MWC and AAC are gone. With that, I wouldn't be surprised to see an AAC/MWC merger... Aresco tried it before, but the MWC has a new commish, so... not sure how two commissioners work out in a 'merged' conference, but... I think that would solidify the 'autobid' spot in the playoffs starting in '24 for the noted 'merger'...

There won’t be a merger. They are not gonna to give up automatic bids and the tv dollars aren’t going to be there to support it.

If SDSU and SMU depart, the MWC will probably just add UTEP and the AAC will probably stand pat at 13 teams. No one else is going to want to move as long as the possibility of movement in the Pac/Big 12/ACC exists.