After putting up a big fight for the return of University of Alabama at Birmingham football, the blazers scored another win Friday.The University of Alabama System board of trustees gave UAB the green light to build a new football facility."It's huge for the city and the state and it's huge for this campus," student Ben Burgess said."It brings back the excitement and the hope for everybody," student Brinna Griffan said.UAB's athletics director Mark Ingram said the facility will cost $15.3 million. The funds for construction will come from bond money with support from ongoing fundraising efforts."We've worked very hard with campus facility folks and our local architects, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood to start designing this in a more detailed fashion from the athletics standpoint and obviously Coach (Bill) Clark is involved in every meeting," Ingram said.The 46,000 square foot, two-story facility will come with a weight and training room, team meeting rooms, office space and a dining area.Meanwhile, the university president enjoys the atmosphere around campus after he brought back the three terminated sports including football."We had a great year and there was turbulence and we've worked through those issues and we've had more support for athletics than we've ever had," Dr. Ray Watts said.School leaders are pushing for a summer 2017 completion of the new football facility. That's the team's first season after being re-instated.

After putting up a big fight for the return of University of Alabama at Birmingham football, the blazers scored another win Friday.

The University of Alabama System board of trustees gave UAB the green light to build a new football facility.

"It's huge for the city and the state and it's huge for this campus," student Ben Burgess said.



"It brings back the excitement and the hope for everybody," student Brinna Griffan said.



UAB's athletics director Mark Ingram said the facility will cost $15.3 million. The funds for construction will come from bond money with support from ongoing fundraising efforts.



"We've worked very hard with campus facility folks and our local architects, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood to start designing this in a more detailed fashion from the athletics standpoint and obviously Coach (Bill) Clark is involved in every meeting," Ingram said.



The 46,000 square foot, two-story facility will come with a weight and training room, team meeting rooms, office space and a dining area.



Meanwhile, the university president enjoys the atmosphere around campus after he brought back the three terminated sports including football.



"We had a great year and there was turbulence and we've worked through those issues and we've had more support for athletics than we've ever had," Dr. Ray Watts said.



School leaders are pushing for a summer 2017 completion of the new football facility. That's the team's first season after being re-instated.





