UAB Athletics Assessment Task Force Meeting
Open Forum at Bartow Arena on May 7, 2015
The UAB Athletics Assessment Task Force will host an open forum at Bartow Arena on Thursday, May 7, 2015. The meeting is open to the public and will begin at 5:30 PM.
In an effort to fulfill the charge given to the UAB Athletics Assessment Task Force to conduct an independent review of the sustainability of football, bowling and rifle programs, the task force invites you to a special meeting to discuss updates from the subcommittee of Public/Private Support. The subcommittee of Public/Private Support, led by Champion Club members Don Hire and Justin Craft, will be gauging donor interest over a five year period. The meeting will overview the ongoing plan to secure the financial resources necessary and provide an opportunity for the Birmingham community to be involved in the subcommittee's efforts.
Other members of the task force will be in attendance, and the agenda items to be discussed will be as follows:
Overall Task Force progress report.
Opening statements from the subcommittee of Public/Private Support.
Ways to support through the subcommittee of Public/Private Support.
If you are unable to attend the meeting but want to be involved in the subcommittee's fundraising efforts, please call Brad Hardekopf in the Blazer Boosters office at (205) 996-5219 or email at hardebp@uab.edu.
"Gauging donor interest over a five year period"
That's almost like "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for those who have claimed they are withdrawing support. Publicly stating your intention could be used to justify not bring football back.
(04-28-2015 09:39 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: [ -> ]"Gauging donor interest over a five year period"
That's almost like "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for those who have claimed they are withdrawing support. Publicly stating your intention could be used to justify not bring football back.
Not sure how you see publicly stating financial donations for a five-year period could be used to justify not bringing back football. Unless the donations aren't there. In which case, we do not deserve it.
Every successful program has a healthy booster donation base. If we don't have one, we do not merit a D1 football program.
(04-29-2015 05:53 AM)CourtsideBlazer Wrote: [ -> ] (04-28-2015 09:39 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: [ -> ]"Gauging donor interest over a five year period"
That's almost like "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for those who have claimed they are withdrawing support. Publicly stating your intention could be used to justify not bring football back.
Not sure how you see publicly stating financial donations for a five-year period could be used to justify not bringing back football. Unless the donations aren't there. In which case, we do not deserve it.
Every successful program has a healthy booster donation base. If we don't have one, we do not merit a D1 football program.
I may not have been clear. Many have said they will not donate to UAB without football. Those statements may be used to keep football away by leaving out the disclaimer "without football"
(04-29-2015 05:53 AM)CourtsideBlazer Wrote: [ -> ] (04-28-2015 09:39 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote: [ -> ]"Gauging donor interest over a five year period"
That's almost like "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario for those who have claimed they are withdrawing support. Publicly stating your intention could be used to justify not bring football back.
Not sure how you see publicly stating financial donations for a five-year period could be used to justify not bringing back football. Unless the donations aren't there. In which case, we do not deserve it.
Every successful program has a healthy booster donation base. If we don't have one, we do not merit a D1 football program.
We have had donors try and donate in the past and that was shot down.( money for the stadium, money for field turf, money for season tickets, etc.). At a certain point peopl will just say **** it, they just aren't going to take my money. Hamstringing every damn move we have tried to make to improve the program is not a reason to state that we don't merit a d1 football program.
I think the atf is very late getting these donations together. I have been saying that for months, we should have immediately set something up to accept donations, and we just didn't do it. There would have been money flowing in from around the country, even if it was a bunch of $5-$25 donations. I hope these guys have been doing a lot of fundraising on the side, because otherwise I don't see how we can raise the numbers that have been quoted around here.
I do not see a negative at all other than Watts is still here.
I am willing to bet the commitment will be similar to the tickets... contingent on the reinstatement of football.
Of course it will. They are talking about commitments to donate for football specifically. If we want football at UAB, we are going to have to step up and fill the doughnut hole, period. They are not going to help us. There has been a quiet campaign behind the scenes to begin getting up the money. Sure, I'd like it if the foundation had put something in place where all the sympathy donations could have gone from day one, but that's spilled milk at this point.
Put up or shut up time, guys.
I'm sure they are familiar with the major concerns at this point, and that they wouldn't have thought to conduct this unless they believed it would meet or, hopefully, exceed their expectations.
I dont make a bunch of money..but I am willing pony up $1000 per year to help football
(04-29-2015 12:11 PM)TNBLAZERS Wrote: [ -> ]I dont make a bunch of money..but I am willing pony up $1000 per year to help football
That kind of attitude is going to be the most important aspect. The more people we have contributing the better. Doesn't have to be a ton they just need numbers.
(04-29-2015 12:11 PM)TNBLAZERS Wrote: [ -> ]I dont make a bunch of money..but I am willing pony up $1000 per year to help football
PM either Attalla or JBall.
(04-29-2015 08:07 AM)blazers9911 Wrote: [ -> ]I think the atf is very late getting these donations together. I have been saying that for months, we should have immediately set something up to accept donations, and we just didn't do it. There would have been money flowing in from around the country, even if it was a bunch of $5-$25 donations.
It kills me that we weren't able to capitalize on that.
What about corporate donors/boosters? How can this forum assess possible corporate commitments? What about the city's commitment?
I don't know that this forum can, unless there are people posting here who either are such a donor or know someone in a position to. That said, I'm certain that there have been some quiet inquiries made. It's no secret that for UAB football to come back that it will need financial support. How much of that will have been solidified into a donation at this early point in the game I don't know.
OTOH, whatever is announced at the ATF meeting, and that assumes that things are far enough advanced that they *do* choose to make some numbers public, this is an early first phase meeting. It's not like there has been a public announcement that funds are being sought for the return of UAB football. This is mostly a small number of people who have quietly made inquiries. Look at what happened when the Foundation began taking commitments for season tickets.
So it's preliminary. I hope that there is still enough money on tap to show that this is a serious effort, but we won't really know about that until next Thursday. In the meantime, if you would like to make a pledge of financial support personally, PM Attalla or Jball.
PM me. jball is crazy. :-)
(04-29-2015 09:56 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote: [ -> ]Of course it will. They are talking about commitments to donate for football specifically. If we want football at UAB, we are going to have to step up and fill the doughnut hole, period. They are not going to help us. There has been a quiet campaign behind the scenes to begin getting up the money. Sure, I'd like it if the foundation had put something in place where all the sympathy donations could have gone from day one, but that's spilled milk at this point.
Put up or shut up time, guys.
I am willing to comit $1,000 a year for 5 years. All is contingent upon UAB Football returning. Come on people......We can do this!
Time to commit!! Please attend the meeting if you can to get information and spread the word out. We need everyone making a consistent annual commitment for 5 years!
I'm a student for the next 4 years, but I will buy or donate the equivalent of season tickets every year, AND continue donating to the school of engineering with Football. Without football, especially with Watts still here, I'm continuing to withhold my academic donations. I'll go to UAB games that happen to be in the state of Virginia and root for the Blazers.
If you're donating to the academic side, let them know it affects that too.