RE: UAB- Fundraising for new stadium
Ya know, when ETSU dropped football in 2003 a separate, non-affiliated with the university Not for profit foundation was formed. Up until we got a new university president, that group was ridiculed and not welcomed on campus (keep in mind this includes Ex-NFL guys and current Falcons coach Mike Smith). They held meetings monthly in the offices of Waste Management, literally at the trash dump. Every year they got together, they talked about money and who would give what when the time was right, they very well could've taken the money yearly and put it in the bank but the founder of it all didn't want to do that way (he had his reasons).
Today, ETSU has football again, next week, we'll have a coach (albeit an old one who's battling cancer, but a coach).
Point is, start a separate foundation, not an official part of UAB, but a not for profit group. Get your fans together in a non-affiliated with the university in an OFFICAL capacity kind of way. Raise the money separate from UAB, into a private trust that they, nor those little skidmarks in Tuscaloosa can touch. Once it's raised, tell them you've got the money, and the city wants a stadium too. A stadium that can potentially upgrade the bowl game, bring in outdoor concerts, and perhaps professional soccer. In short, work around them, you can't go through them. It took ETSU fans who wanted football a failed attempt in 2007 to realize that. That and the president retired which led to the athletic director getting shown the exit.
Channel the hate and anger for the Harvey Updyke's and Phyllis from Mulga types of the world towards getting done what you need.
Ya'll are smart down there, one of you has to either personally know or is an attorney to set all that up.
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