Chamber speaker gives updates on UAB football
If you looked closely at Hatton Smith, you might have guessed what he would speak about to the Homewood Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 18. Pinned to his suit was a UAB Blazers pin, the same one several others in attendance wore.
Smith, the CEO emeritus of Royal Cup Coffee, opened by saying he could talk about coffee or about the Rotary Trail he was worked on, but today he was there to talk about football.
"We want to send a huge message that UAB football is back," he said.
Smith went on to recount how he, childhood friend Tommy Brigham, Mike Goodrich and Craft O'Neal met one night at Birmingham Country Club to talk about how to help bring back the program. 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.
"We said, 'We are going to guaranteed that debt to bring back UAB football, and that's exactly what we did,'" Smith said.
Next Smith presented the university's next steps for the athletics program. Smith, who now is the chair of the UAB Athletics Campaign Committee, and others have visited Temple University in Philadelphia, a similar school, to get ideas for facilities like those they plan to bring to UAB. The first step, Smith said, is for the school to have good facilities.
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. 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.
"If we get a 25,000-35,000-seat stadium, it's going to be fun," Smith said. "You are going to want to go... I am for Birmingham, this is about Birmingham... When the city center is alive, there's no doubt the city will be alive."
The UAB Athletics Campaign Committee's plan is to raise $13-14 million for facilities. They currently have about $8 million pledged.