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http://thehomewoodstar.com/news/chamber-...ball-0818/

Quote:That let to meeting with UAB President Ray Watts with a group of civic and business leaders, where they learned the bottom line was the university had a deficit that had to be covered. Inside that room that night, the group raised $4 million.

Quote: The current plan is to build new football facilities and have a team again in fall 2017, with a new stadium to open in 2017 or 2018.

Quote:The UAB Athletics Campaign Committee's plan is to raise $13-14 million for facilities. They currently have about $8 million pledged.

Maybe the enemies were in the building yesterday so it couldn't be mentioned.

I don't think the BOT will allow the University to publish those figures because they want to keep the UAB family off base as long as they can. If Mark Ingram didn't know anything about the heavy handed tactics of the BOT prior to taking the AD position I bet he fully understands it now. I watched him carefully yesterday and he didn't seem to all that comfortable while standing prior to his presentation and after. Has the BOT threaten to pull the funding for the entire athletics program because they were embarrassed into bringing the football program back. It's been my understanding that Basketball all the other sports were on solid foundation financially and the University wasn't going to cut it's original budget on athletics ($20 million dollar figure that everyone quotes like football cost the university that much annually). I got the impression that yesterday was about the athletics department as whole and not just about football.

I would guess that basketball lost its ass last year due to Watts.
None of the other sports are money making sports.

Football is what provided the funds for some of the other sports & is about the only one outside of basketball that can pay for itself.

(08-19-2015 08:10 AM)ICB Wrote:  http://thehomewoodstar.com/news/chamber-...ball-0818/

Quote:That let to meeting with UAB President Ray Watts with a group of civic and business leaders, where they learned the bottom line was the university had a deficit that had to be covered. Inside that room that night, the group raised $4 million.

Quote: The current plan is to build new football facilities and have a team again in fall 2017, with a new stadium to open in 2017 or 2018.

Quote:The UAB Athletics Campaign Committee's plan is to raise $13-14 million for facilities. They currently have about $8 million pledged.

Well that's nice to see.

Something isn't right here. They are talking in one sentence about a stadium, and in the next only raising $14 million. Yesterday they were talking about spending $14 million entirely on the football office space and outdoor fields, not even an indoor practice facility.

There is so much noise out there that I don't think anyone knows exactly what is going on. Would be nice if someone would publicly say "here's our plan" and set out the stages and how much each stage would cost and what the deadlines are.

(08-19-2015 09:52 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Something isn't right here. They are talking in one sentence about a stadium, and in the next only raising $14 million. Yesterday they were talking about spending $14 million entirely on the football office space and outdoor fields, not even an indoor practice facility.

There is so much noise out there that I don't think anyone knows exactly what is going on. Would be nice if someone would publicly say "here's our plan" and set out the stages and how much each stage would cost and what the deadlines are.

I think part of it is about the revenue stream that's going to pay for the development. With the exception of the stadium and suites in Bartow, there's little potential revenue that would pay for these capital projects, so it all has to come from pledged funds rather than future income.

(08-19-2015 09:57 AM)TMcCarty Wrote:  

(08-19-2015 09:52 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Something isn't right here. They are talking in one sentence about a stadium, and in the next only raising $14 million. Yesterday they were talking about spending $14 million entirely on the football office space and outdoor fields, not even an indoor practice facility.

There is so much noise out there that I don't think anyone knows exactly what is going on. Would be nice if someone would publicly say "here's our plan" and set out the stages and how much each stage would cost and what the deadlines are.

I think part of it is about the revenue stream that's going to pay for the development. With the exception of the stadium and suites in Bartow, there's little potential revenue that would pay for these capital projects, so it all has to come from pledged funds rather than future income.

Potential revenue wasn't allowed to be used for the stadium before, I don't see how it's going to be allowed this time around. They are not going to let a single capital project break ground without cash in the bank to fully fund the thing.

UAB doesn't need a football practice facility right away. It doesn't need a stadium right away. It needs a brick and mortar building for offices, training, etc., to take advantage of this momentum. Plant the seeds, fertilize the roots and watch the tree grow.

Another nugget:

"The school has hired Mark Ingram as its new athletic director and hopes to have Coach Bill Clark's contract approved by the board in September."

Why were none of these things said yesterday afternoon?

(08-19-2015 09:52 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Something isn't right here. They are talking in one sentence about a stadium, and in the next only raising $14 million. Yesterday they were talking about spending $14 million entirely on the football office space and outdoor fields, not even an indoor practice facility.

There is so much noise out there that I don't think anyone knows exactly what is going on. Would be nice if someone would publicly say "here's our plan" and set out the stages and how much each stage would cost and what the deadlines are.

I seriously think this whole fund raising campaign is being figured out day to day.

(08-19-2015 10:00 AM)Agent Orange Sauce Wrote:  UAB doesn't need a football practice facility right away. It doesn't need a stadium right away. It needs a brick and mortar building for offices, training, etc., to take advantage of this momentum. Plant the seeds, fertilize the roots and watch the tree grow.

THIS

Coach Clark said just updating the locker rooms last year gave them unparalleled confidence within the team. Young men that age just want to see something new and know that they are being invested in.

(08-19-2015 10:00 AM)Agent Orange Sauce Wrote:  UAB doesn't need a football practice facility right away. It doesn't need a stadium right away. It needs a brick and mortar building for offices, training, etc., to take advantage of this momentum. Plant the seeds, fertilize the roots and watch the tree grow.

Today? You're right. However UAB football isn't playing today, it's playing in 2017. A lot of money and a lot of construction work can be done in two years. And even if a stadium isn't done in 2017, we should have long term plans and goals on paper so we know what we're working towards.

What was laid out yesterday is that the offices, training facilities, etc would be housed in the new Football Facility. Ingram said it would include everything the team needs & "where they live 359 days of the year".

What Ingram said yesterday was garbage. The plan he showed goes back to Carol Garrison, and I very much doubt that is what will eventually be built.

Like others have said it's rapidly becoming clearer day by day that almost no one has any earthly idea what in the heck they are talking about. It's staggering, I try as hard as I can to keep up, but I haven't a clue what's true or false considering something different is announced each day. Being this disorganzed with no clear plan is exactly how the BOT will pull the wool over our eyes again.

(08-19-2015 10:47 AM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  What Ingram said yesterday was garbage. The plan he showed goes back to Carol Garrison, and I very much doubt that is what will eventually be built.

Agreed. Ingram is shady and seems in over his head.

What Clark wants is an IPF with an outdoor turf field first and foremost. Then a football operations building. Then a medical research building attached. I cant tell you how I know. Put two and two together.

Agree with band dad and Dragon.

So Ingram is SEC caliber talent? That is really underwhelming. I am not seeing it. With his supposed connections, he should be able to sneeze $3 million dollars worth of donations.

Is he playing for time to wait out Watts? I am willing to reserve judgment on him but, he was sold to us as a great FUNDRAISER; shouldn't he be out there selling our athletics program and I don't know...fundraising.