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

Really odd move.

My undergrad college rented the nearest minor-league stadium for two seasons while our on-campus field was being renovated. I don't see this as being any different.

(05-14-2014 11:03 AM)BlazerDave Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 10:08 AM)Dracorex Wrote:  Hoover obviously begging for someone to use their park for something.

Well, if you live in Jefferson County you can get your license plate renewed there. They're using it for something.

If you live in the Jefferson County portion of Hoover, you will be able to get your license plate renewed there.

If they have to travel anyways, they could play at Historic Rickwood Field for that matter. Would that be a little too close to the ambience of Legion Field for them?

I don't see it as competition. Generally speaking, I believe the Hoover met and Regions draw from different pools of people.

(05-14-2014 12:47 PM)BlazerFromMD Wrote:  My undergrad college rented the nearest minor-league stadium for two seasons while our on-campus field was being renovated. I don't see this as being any different.

Marshall doesn't even have a stadium. They play their conference games at a minor league stadium 40 miles away in Charleston, WV. Their non-conference games are played at numerous sites throughout the state of WV. The only games that they actually play in Huntington are played at the YMCA.

I wish Hoover would go all in a minor league MLS team. I think that would help strengthen UAB soccer to have a relationship similar to what baseball is developing with Barons.

Hoover loves the SEC baseball tournament and probably wouldn't be willing to make the permanent renovations required to suite a soccer franchise.

(05-13-2014 08:58 PM)blazinrunner Wrote:  Looks like we'll be competing for butts in the seats.

Couldn't be any further from the truth.

(05-15-2014 09:19 AM)Blazer on the southside Wrote:  Hoover loves the SEC baseball tournament and probably wouldn't be willing to make the permanent renovations required to suite a soccer franchise.

If Hoover were to go the soccer route, they already have architectural drawings for an soccer only 16000-20000 seat stadium. Back when they were actively considering the idea they even approached UAB as to the possibility of playing home football games in the facility. I don't remember the exact year, but Margison was interim AD at the time.

(05-14-2014 03:08 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  If they have to travel anyways, they could play at Historic Rickwood Field for that matter. Would that be a little too close to the ambience of Legion Field for them?

If they do, the scary black people will get them.

Actually, plenty of them think that about the new ball park.

(05-15-2014 04:50 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(05-14-2014 03:08 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  If they have to travel anyways, they could play at Historic Rickwood Field for that matter. Would that be a little too close to the ambience of Legion Field for them?

If they do, the scary black people will get them.

Actually, plenty of them think that about the new ball park.

Well the new stadium is awfully close to that intergated extension school on the Southside.

I'm not worried either. I don't think UAT baseball is a big draw, and I'm sure few UAT students are going to make that 40 minute drive to see nonconference "home games." It won't affect our attendance at all.

(05-16-2014 12:18 AM)thebernreuter Wrote:  I'm not worried either. I don't think UAT baseball is a big draw, and I'm sure few UAT students are going to make that 40 minute drive to see nonconference "home games." It won't affect our attendance at all.

What is UAB baseball attendance?

Pretty good honestly. It was up this year over last in large part because of Regions Field. Nowhere near Barons attendance, but I don't think anyone I saw at the games this year will be going to the UAT games instead.

http://csnbbs.com/thread-679711.html

I don't want to do the box score math right now, but that thread shows where we were earlier in the year. So far so good at that point.

Good example:

UAB vs. UAT at Met last year: 854

UAB vs. UAT this year: 3,067

Of course, the weather was a 3rd variable in the results. The weather last year was cloudy, cold, and miserable. That's still a good stat though.

Our biggest game (vs Alabama) was just over 3,000... we had games range from approx. 375-1500 this season.

Bama's low end was approx. 2,750 (mid-week games with JSU and UAB) and high end was over 6,000 (Auburn series)... looks like their average is right around 4,000.

Our average this season is around 800... Bama's around 4,000.

The attendance is high this year due to the newness of the ball park. It can be expected to drop over time as the newness wears off.

I suspect that initially, Bama will have a surge at the Hoover park as Bama baseball fans in the Birmingham area are able to see them play without driving to Tuscaloosa, but that will diminish as well.

I think that UAB baseball could increase attendance if marketed the right way. The new promenade connecting the campus green and Railroad Park could also lure students and faculty to the games in the coming years.

Somehow, some way, UAB has to generate interest among employees and students to boost interest in supporting their own university... I wish the answer was a simple one.