(Not Auburn related, so by all means move on if you wish, or post the obligatory TL/DR. But I think peripherally it should interest AU fans inasmuch as it can be a window into the arrogance of the U of A System Board, and their influence in Montgomery and beyond protecting the strategic interests of West Vance.)
Not that the road is easy, but I think UAB will turn the corner and within 3-4 years establish maybe a Troy or JSU level nice little fan base / program for several reasons.
1. After the facts of Ray Watts / U of A System's plot to kill UAB football came to light, some damn important B'ham business leaders (and who are not so much UAB supporters as they are interested in economic development in B'ham) became very committed to making UAB football work. That story HERE:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/06/how_a_group_of_birmingham_powe.html
Craft O'Neal led the charge, and requested a meeting with Ray Watts. Watts agreed to a meeting on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and O'Neal gathered the who's who of Birmingham businessmen. There was RoyalCup Coffee chief executive officer emeritus Hatton Smith; McWane chairman Phillip McWane; Brasfield & Gorrie chief executive officer Jim Gorrie; Harbert Management chief executive officer Raymond Harbert and Children's of Alabama chief executive officer Mike Warren, among others.
"We had 40 percent of Birmingham's largest privately-held companies in that room," said Hatton Smith, who was recently selected to chair a fundraising task force.
The men assembled didn't blink at the numbers thrown out. Instead, they decided by the end of the night to guarantee to cover the deficit and make a $4 million donation. They met again with Dr. Watts on Wednesday to make it official.
The reason was simple for O'Neal.
"UAB is the economic engine for Birmingham, and for the state to a large degree. What's good for UAB is good for Birmingham," O'Neal said. "We recognized the whole football issue was becoming a real negative for Birmingham and UAB. We see the potential in football at UAB with the proper facilities, so we were willing to step up, get involved and help with that."
Interestingly, not a soul on the U of A System Board had previously given a damn about the Birmingham economy in terms of the vision O'Neal put forth, despite using the UAB balance sheet for improved debt financing, etc. as I understand it. But that may be changing since the public, ugly flap.
2. Even U of A System trustees are walking it back as regards their opposition to UAB football in the past.
"There is support now that has never existed before," trustee Finis St. John said. "I don't think anybody can argue that. As difficult as this year as been, nobody can argue that UAB athletics is not in a much better shape than it was before. It's a success story. It wasn't for many, many years. Now, it appears that it's got a great future."
The chronology of UAB football events, Watts' no-confidence vote, and revival of UAB football HERE:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/12/uab_football_timeline.html
3. A downtown stadium (near the Uptown development, which is pretty decent) is closer to being a reality than at any point in the past, and mankind may even be one step closer to imploding the decrepid Legion Field. UAB's fortunes on the stadium issue have been tied to the City of Birmingham (I know, kiss of death), and a proposed 55,000 seat stadium was tasked to Populous in Kansas City, and International Sports Facilitiy design firm. Populous worked on expansions at both Bryant-Denny and Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Story here: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/11/new_football_stadium_for_uab_c.html
4. Purely a futuristic guess here, but I believe that as the outrageous cost of 4-year college at AU, Bama, not to mention private college costs comes squarely into view with the shaky ROI of getting a job that will pay for the student debt, UAB will shift a little from its "commuter" college feel. Football will help on that score, and UAB basketball is well established. Point being, with a new stadium that is not straight up embarrassing, students and UAB alums will embrace football, and attendance is not impossible as it has been to date. Big time programs like Auburn may also schedule UAB for football games (hell, give them a home and home once or twice
just for the political value).
I'm not remotely predicting a UAB football brand in the realm of any SEC program in the near future. But there are plenty of talented H.S. recruits who never get a shot to play, and get a degree in our state. No reason UAB can't deliver that dream for kids and build a modest fan base.
I'll drop a note on any riveting points Clark makes today for those interested.
E5
Not that the road is easy, but I think UAB will turn the corner and within 3-4 years establish maybe a Troy or JSU level nice little fan base / program for several reasons.
1. After the facts of Ray Watts / U of A System's plot to kill UAB football came to light, some damn important B'ham business leaders (and who are not so much UAB supporters as they are interested in economic development in B'ham) became very committed to making UAB football work. That story HERE:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/06/how_a_group_of_birmingham_powe.html
Craft O'Neal led the charge, and requested a meeting with Ray Watts. Watts agreed to a meeting on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and O'Neal gathered the who's who of Birmingham businessmen. There was RoyalCup Coffee chief executive officer emeritus Hatton Smith; McWane chairman Phillip McWane; Brasfield & Gorrie chief executive officer Jim Gorrie; Harbert Management chief executive officer Raymond Harbert and Children's of Alabama chief executive officer Mike Warren, among others.
"We had 40 percent of Birmingham's largest privately-held companies in that room," said Hatton Smith, who was recently selected to chair a fundraising task force.
The men assembled didn't blink at the numbers thrown out. Instead, they decided by the end of the night to guarantee to cover the deficit and make a $4 million donation. They met again with Dr. Watts on Wednesday to make it official.
The reason was simple for O'Neal.
"UAB is the economic engine for Birmingham, and for the state to a large degree. What's good for UAB is good for Birmingham," O'Neal said. "We recognized the whole football issue was becoming a real negative for Birmingham and UAB. We see the potential in football at UAB with the proper facilities, so we were willing to step up, get involved and help with that."
Interestingly, not a soul on the U of A System Board had previously given a damn about the Birmingham economy in terms of the vision O'Neal put forth, despite using the UAB balance sheet for improved debt financing, etc. as I understand it. But that may be changing since the public, ugly flap.
2. Even U of A System trustees are walking it back as regards their opposition to UAB football in the past.
"There is support now that has never existed before," trustee Finis St. John said. "I don't think anybody can argue that. As difficult as this year as been, nobody can argue that UAB athletics is not in a much better shape than it was before. It's a success story. It wasn't for many, many years. Now, it appears that it's got a great future."
The chronology of UAB football events, Watts' no-confidence vote, and revival of UAB football HERE:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/12/uab_football_timeline.html
3. A downtown stadium (near the Uptown development, which is pretty decent) is closer to being a reality than at any point in the past, and mankind may even be one step closer to imploding the decrepid Legion Field. UAB's fortunes on the stadium issue have been tied to the City of Birmingham (I know, kiss of death), and a proposed 55,000 seat stadium was tasked to Populous in Kansas City, and International Sports Facilitiy design firm. Populous worked on expansions at both Bryant-Denny and Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Story here: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/11/new_football_stadium_for_uab_c.html
4. Purely a futuristic guess here, but I believe that as the outrageous cost of 4-year college at AU, Bama, not to mention private college costs comes squarely into view with the shaky ROI of getting a job that will pay for the student debt, UAB will shift a little from its "commuter" college feel. Football will help on that score, and UAB basketball is well established. Point being, with a new stadium that is not straight up embarrassing, students and UAB alums will embrace football, and attendance is not impossible as it has been to date. Big time programs like Auburn may also schedule UAB for football games (hell, give them a home and home once or twice
just for the political value).I'm not remotely predicting a UAB football brand in the realm of any SEC program in the near future. But there are plenty of talented H.S. recruits who never get a shot to play, and get a degree in our state. No reason UAB can't deliver that dream for kids and build a modest fan base.
I'll drop a note on any riveting points Clark makes today for those interested.
E5
