Kincaid made mention of UAB in the article this morning in The News. I think it is a good plan. A 40,000 seat facility can host UAB football, the PapaJohns.com Bowl, the Super Six championships, the SWAC football championship, and submit bids for events like the NCAA Final Four and Regionals, and the SEC basketball championship. The Magic City Classic I suppose will have to stay at Legion Field.
What would Birmingham be missing out on by not having a 70,000 seat facility other than submitting bids for the SEC football championship?
A 19,000 seat arena that already exist, a new 40,000 seat multi-purpose arena, and a 72,000 seat outdoor stadium in Legion Field is a strong venue lineup. Maybe Kincaid can obtain a few million $$$$$ from this deal to make improvements to Legion Field.
The problem with that is that the city has not and will not gurantee UAB scheduling priority.
Look at what just happened with the C-USA tournament, a commitment to a possible concert blew bringing it here. If we were to be offered an ESPN game and needed to change days to make it happen, could we?
UAB needs an honest to god place of it's own, or enough say-so to have scheduling priority.
I still see no reason to think the city will actually get something done.
The answer is plain and simple NO.
This 40,000 seat arena would NOT be capable of hosting traditional football. It is an arena for basketball, hockey, concerts etc. Which by the way is stupid. Birmingham needs a 40,000 arena for what? What exactly do they think will sell 40,000 tickets?
Quote:"I've said all along that it has to be more than just civic center expansion - perhaps a multipurpose arena where basketball could be played and not some stadium where football and other sports would be played," Collins said.
blazerjay Wrote:The answer is plain and simple NO.
This 40,000 seat arena would NOT be capable of hosting traditional football. It is an arena for basketball, hockey, concerts etc....
Quote:"I've said all along that it has to be more than just civic center expansion - perhaps a multipurpose arena where basketball could be played and not some stadium where football and other sports would be played," Collins said.
+1, what they are talking about is an ARENA, not a stadium.
Don't worry folks, we will not be playing football in a basketball arena or an on campus stadium. We will be at Legion Field for a long damn time.....
Island Blazer Wrote:Kincaid made mention of UAB in the article this morning in The News. I think it is a good plan. A 40,000 seat facility can host UAB football, the PapaJohns.com Bowl, the Super Six championships, the SWAC football championship, and submit bids for events like the NCAA Final Four and Regionals, and the SEC basketball championship. The Magic City Classic I suppose will have to stay at Legion Field.
What would Birmingham be missing out on by not having a 70,000 seat facility other than submitting bids for the SEC football championship?
A 19,000 seat arena that already exist, a new 40,000 seat multi-purpose arena, and a 72,000 seat outdoor stadium in Legion Field is a strong venue lineup. Maybe Kincaid can obtain a few million $$$$$ from this deal to make improvements to Legion Field.
Only if UAB moves into Arena football.......
I think it is just a play on words by politicians. You can't build a 40,000 seat facility without it being big enough for a football field unless you go straight up five levels or something. They can call it what they want but a 40,000 seat facility will be as much of a stadium as an arena.
Ever heard of the Carrier Dome. It seats 40K. I'm sure the idea is for UAB football to be a paying tenant of this facility. At least on the part of Kincaid.
I will do some checking with my.............(I will use this term VERY loosely) friends with the City and I will get the official poop on this. From what I read it's not a football arena-stadium but we know about those Birmingham News reporters......... ;-)
Island Blazer Wrote:I think it is just a play on words by politicians. You can't build a 40,000 seat facility without it being big enough for a football field unless you go straight up five levels or something. They can call it what they want but a 40,000 seat facility will be as much of a stadium as an arena.
Ever heard of the Carrier Dome. It seats 40K. I'm sure the idea is for UAB football to be a paying tenant of this facility. At least on the part of Kincaid.
How the seating is configured and/or stacked has nothing to with the square footage of the arena floor. It could very well be too small for football.
Either way, a non-expandable 40,000 is too small for football and 40,000 is way too big for basketball....The dome makes more sense than this....
Which is why this will probably be built....this is Birmingham, Alabama after all...
Quote:The dome makes more sense than this....
Which is why this will probably be built....this is Birmingham, Alabama after all...
YEP
They could F up a wet dream...........
Birmingham is comtemplating building a 40K arena for non-football events.
Memphis is planning to build a 45K football stadium with the U of M being the main tenant and financing a large portion of the project with U of M funds.....but will not consider putting it anywhere near the campus. Local elected officials are odd ducks aren't they?
UAB and the U of M are easily the most valuable institutions within Birmingham and Memphis. Those two institutions and how well they educate our citizens will have more influence over the future of these two southern metro areas than any other institution or event. The cities should be doing everything they can to satisfy the needs of both institutions, but instead treat both like step-children. This can only strengthen the resolve of UAB and U of M alums, fans, and staff to break the stranglehold that SEC schools (and other big conferences schools) have over the academic and athletic thought process in our areas.
oldtiger Wrote:Birmingham is comtemplating building a 40K arena for non-football events.
Memphis is planning to build a 45K football stadium with the U of M being the main tenant and financing a large portion of the project with U of M funds.....but will not consider putting it anywhere near the campus. Local elected officials are odd ducks aren't they?
UAB and the U of M are easily the most valuable institutions within Birmingham and Memphis. Those two institutions and how well they educate our citizens will have more influence over the future of these two southern metro areas than any other institution or event. The cities should be doing everything they can to satisfy the needs of both institutions, but instead treat both like step-children. This can only strengthen the resolve of UAB and U of M alums, fans, and staff to break the stranglehold that SEC schools (and other big conferences schools) have over the academic and athletic thought process in our areas.
+1
oldtiger Wrote:Birmingham is comtemplating building a 40K arena for non-football events.
Memphis is planning to build a 45K football stadium with the U of M being the main tenant and financing a large portion of the project with U of M funds.....but will not consider putting it anywhere near the campus. Local elected officials are odd ducks aren't they?
UAB and the U of M are easily the most valuable institutions within Birmingham and Memphis. Those two institutions and how well they educate our citizens will have more influence over the future of these two southern metro areas than any other institution or event. The cities should be doing everything they can to satisfy the needs of both institutions, but instead treat both like step-children. This can only strengthen the resolve of UAB and U of M alums, fans, and staff to break the stranglehold that SEC schools (and other big conferences schools) have over the academic and athletic thought process in our areas.
+2
Quoting Kincaid from The News article...It gets us an arena that UAB can play in and others.
I'm sure he isn't talking about UAB basketball. Has anyone at UAB communicated with the mayor about this? Anyone know?
If they don't make this 40,000 seat facility football usable they will have few sports users of the facility. It's just that simple. Half the seat views in a 40,000 seat basketball only facility will be awful. There is not many basketball events to obtain that can fill it up like the Final Four or Kentucky in the top ten and in the SEC basketball championship game. Most basketball events need 20,000 seats top.
Island Blazer Wrote:Quoting Kincaid from The News article...It gets us an arena that UAB can play in and others.
I'm sure he isn't talking about UAB basketball. Has anyone at UAB communicated with the mayor about this? Anyone know?
If they don't make this 40,000 seat facility football usable they will have few sports users of the facility. It's just that simple. Half the seat views in a 40,000 seat basketball only facility will be awful. There is not many basketball events to obtain that can fill it up like the Final Four or Kentucky in the top ten and in the SEC basketball championship game. Most basketball events need 20,000 seats top.
If football can be played it the dam thing, then I for it.
Joking here, Can you imagine watching the weigh-in at the Bass Masters, from the top row of a 40K basketball arena? Earl would tell Bubba, "Bubba, I think the winner caught a dern minno."
Island Blazer Wrote:Quoting Kincaid from The News article...It gets us an arena that UAB can play in and others.
I'm sure he isn't talking about UAB basketball. Has anyone at UAB communicated with the mayor about this? Anyone know?
If they don't make this 40,000 seat facility football usable they will have few sports users of the facility. It's just that simple. Half the seat views in a 40,000 seat basketball only facility will be awful. There is not many basketball events to obtain that can fill it up like the Final Four or Kentucky in the top ten and in the SEC basketball championship game. Most basketball events need 20,000 seats top.
I suspect this is a case of Bernie letting his big purple hat do his thinking for him. As far as I can tell, he's talking out of his heiny.
All talk, no action.
They have no clue what they are talking about.
They're just searching for something they think sounds good.
Smitherman may have something to say about this because this plan does not address the roof over Legion Field. lmfao lmfao lmfao
I personally think it's a better option than Legion Field... and certainly would be good for the city overall. I know some of the folks that plan conventions, and it is definitely a fact that we've had some major conventions look at us only for us to tell them we couldn't accomodate because we didn't have sufficient space. Langford also seems to think he could get an NBA franchise here with a new arena. And as much as I doubt that, it's sure as heck alot more likely that that happens than for Birmingham to ever get the NFL. More convention space, hotels, and entertainment in the area are a given if you ask me. The new arena would also be welcomed.
Personally, I would say to get whatever they can while the getting is good before Collins or the rest of them decide to change their minds as they so often do. The BJCC has been largely a success with just about every venture its made... I see no reason to question their profitability.