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Former Birmingham Bulls owner wants to bring hockey back to the Magic City

http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/ne...bring.html

Just in case it can't be read:

Art Clarkson, the former owner of the Birmingham Bulls professional hockey team, is plotting a comeback.

According to WVTM, Clarkson has been taking steps to bring professional hockey back to the Magic City. He told WVTM he already has a booster club and general manager hired to facilitate a return of the Bulls.

"We've been working on it for a year," he said. "It's not just like I'm throwing this together. No, I'm very precise."

Clarkson said he wants the team to play in the Southern Professional Hockey League, which has 10 teams across the South, including one in Huntsville.

Though the Bulls used to play at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, but BJCC officials said the arena would need significant capital upgrades to support the return of hockey.

That would be awesome. I loved going to those game growing up.

I wish

I'm liking this as well, the variety in entertainment that has been lacking for so long seems be getting filled.

Bull Hockey!!!

Do those "significant capital upgrades" relate to renovating the ice maintenance capability which has not been used for some time? Perhaps the Bulls and UAB can share the BJCC arena just as the Blazers and Barons share Regions Field. If that facility can be shared at a reasonable rate, UAB may develop a D1 hockey team.

(02-11-2017 12:13 AM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote: [ -> ]Do those "significant capital upgrades" relate to renovating the ice maintenance capability which has not been used for some time? Perhaps the Bulls and UAB can share the BJCC arena just as the Blazers and Barons share Regions Field. If that facility can be shared at a reasonable rate, UAB may develop a D1 hockey team.

UABOT will not allow this. They tried to cancel UAH Hockey (Div 1) right around the time UAT started club hockey. Many viewed this as an attempt to elevate UAT to D1. UAH rallied like UAB for football and brought it back. But nonetheless, they won't allow UAB to be D1.

Maybe so but as soon as Ingram leaves we should go for it. Add women's lacrosse and gymnastics to offset it. We have learned to just do things and then tell the board if you want to stop us do it publicly.

I'd rather devote our money to existing programs

We have a hockey team already club level and are already devoting money to it.

(02-11-2017 10:55 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote: [ -> ]We have a hockey team already club level and are already devoting money to it.

Hopefully that's $ from club hockey supporters and not the athletic department. We should finish facilities needed by the NCAA sports before wasting it on club hockey.

Every high school in Alabama has boys track. UAB is supposed to be building a track. No men's track team but we should add hockey in a state that sees snow maybe once every other year. Yeah, that makes sense.

Yeah let's just completely destroy the athletics department budget. We're already having to donate insane amounts above and beyond to keep football, but let's make it worse.

And as far as the Bulls and the BJCC, it sounds like the BJCC is trying to fleece someone out of some free money. Doesn't Disney on Ice still come to the civic center? You can't tell me they don't still have the ability to put down ice.

(02-11-2017 11:38 AM)BlazerGreen Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-11-2017 10:55 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote: [ -> ]We have a hockey team already club level and are already devoting money to it.

Hopefully that's $ from club hockey supporters and not the athletic department. We should finish facilities needed by the NCAA sports before wasting it on club hockey.

Every high school in Alabama has boys track. UAB is supposed to be building a track. No men's track team but we should add hockey in a state that sees snow maybe once every other year. Yeah, that makes sense.

I agree. If we were loaded with cash, sure let's have as many sports as Stanford does. The reality is starting more sports means our already thin budget will only get thinner. I'm all for club hockey being successful though.

;-)

(02-11-2017 12:05 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah let's just completely destroy the athletics department budget. We're already having to donate insane amounts above and beyond to keep football, but let's make it worse.

And as far as the Bulls and the BJCC, it sounds like the BJCC is trying to fleece someone out of some free money. Doesn't Disney on Ice still come to the civic center? You can't tell me they don't still have the ability to put down ice.

Is there a logistics / cost difference between ice production for a couple of shows per year (Like Disney on Ice) and maintaining ice over a season? I am presuming there is since while the Bulls were playing there, the BJCC kept the ice almost year round (UAB played BB over that ice then). Unless there is a replacement circus to serve, there would be no reason to ever take it out if a pro hockey team returns to B'ham. That could also bear on the cost factor of having a D1 UAB men's hockey team playing there.

UAH lost over a million and a half before they shut down with 5000 average tickets sold. That was old D2 cost. Bet UAB would lose two Million a year plus expend for a comparable women's team. Thus we would take away 3 million from basketball and football

Love hockey but no thanks

glad you have it figured out ;-)

Hold on now. I was promised an Equestrian Team before we ever thought about club hockey.

(02-11-2017 12:05 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]And as far as the Bulls and the BJCC, it sounds like the BJCC is trying to fleece someone out of some free money. Doesn't Disney on Ice still come to the civic center? You can't tell me they don't still have the ability to put down ice.

The circus last month (which was great) laid down ice:

Lauren Walsh‏ @LaurenWalshTV
...Fmr Bham Bulls owner hopes his new hockey team will play Fall '17. Pelham Council votes tonight on lease agreement.
...Former Birmingham Bulls owner sets sights on Pelham for professional hockey team abc3340.com
...Art Clarkson, who owned Birmingham Bulls in the 90s, tells me he hopes to have professional hockey playing in the Birmingham metro this Fall
...Tonight: Pelham City Council will vote on a lease agreement to bring professional hockey back to Birmingham metro. #LiveOn3340