The executive director of the new UAB Football Foundation said his organization is prepared to raise $4-5 million in the next year and even more over the next decade to support the program.

UAB booster Jimmy Filler, in a press release, said the foundation's support will be based on three conditions:

1. Extending coach Bill Clark's contract. Clark, nearing the end of his first season at UAB, agreed to a three-year deal originally.

2. Scheduling non-conference opponents beyond the 2016 season. At the moment, UAB has no non-conference games scheduled for 2017 and beyond.

3. UAB's administration committing to support the program "at levels that provide UAB football an opportunity to compete for C-USA championships."

UAB's football future has been in question since a group of former players expressed concern earlier this month that the school's administration is considering shutting down the program. Despite those concerns, neither UAB President Ray Watts nor AD Brian Mackin has said publicly that UAB will continue to play football beyond the 2016 season.

In a Nov. 6 statement, Watts said the entire UAB campus began a strategic planning initiative more than a year ago. As part of that process, Watts said, "the Athletic Department is conducting a full strategic review of its programs. The Athletic Department has engaged outside experts and is exploring a full range of options - not all of which will be implemented - to reach its desired results of sustained excellence."

CarrSports Consulting is conducting the study of the UAB athletic department.

UAB is 5-6 in its first year under Clark. If the Blazers win Saturday at Southern Miss, they'll be bowl-eligible for just the second time in the school's Football Bowl Subdivision history, which began in 1996. UAB was driving toward a winning score Saturday against unbeaten and 18th-ranked Marshall when the Blazers were stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Marshall 10-yard line with a minute to play. Marshall won 23-18. UAB announced the crowd for the game at 28,355.

In his Tuesday statement, Filler expressed his belief that the UAB Football Foundation can raise tens of millions of dollars in the next decade for capital improvements for the program,

"I believe in UAB Football, and so does the City of Birmingham as evidenced by the nearly 30,000 at last Saturday's game at Legion Field," Filler said. "From my countless discussions with individuals since announcing this endeavor, it is clear our Foundation can raise 4 to 5 million dollars over the next 12 months, and even more over the next decade to invest into UAB Football's infrastructure and operations. With the success of the football team, and the City of Birmingham's willingness to invest millions, we have an opportunity to show the business community that we are serious about football on the Southside.

"Business people understand you invest first, and then positive results follow. If UAB's administration makes a genuine commitment to UAB Football, they will have an opportunity like never before to create public-private partnerships. If they would give us the green light today, we would be ready tomorrow to do extraordinary things for UAB and the City of Birmingham."