IMG_0229[1].JPG

A large group of UAB supporters came out to get an update on fundraising efforts to bring football back.

(John Talty )

The fundraising efforts of the UAB Athletics Assessment Task Force to bring football back to the school resulted in nearly $6 million in pledges, the group announced Thursday night.

Justin Craft, the head of the task force's fundraising subcommittee, told a crowd of more than 200 people that the UAB Football Foundation received 154 pledges to reinstate football, bowling and women's rifle. Throughout the night, Craft encouraged supporters to make five-year commitments and people obliged by grabbing forms to commit to the cause.

"I'm overwhelmed at the support," Craft told AL.com. "This is really something people want. I think Birmingham wants this program to return."

It was a festive, optimistic mood at the task force's open forum at Bartow Arena. There were multiple standing ovations for Craft and task force members Shannon Ealy, the school's interim athletic director, and major booster Don Hire for their efforts to this point. Craft thanked Ealy for guiding the athletic department "through an unprecedented situation; one of the darkest times in the history of the university."

Later, a "U-A-B" chant broke out during the forum. The announcement of the pledge progress energized the crowd.

Wes Smith, the chairman of the task force, stated multiple times that UAB would "bring football back at a world-class level." As long as boosters continue to "put their money where their mouth is," the UAB national alumni president expects "the results will come."

The next step is converting the UAB Football Foundation pledge agreements into official UAB gift agreements. Craft plans to pass along the pledges he's received to UAB fundraisers, and allow them to follow up on securing the funds through the school's official forms.

There previously was a reticence among boosters to use the gift agreements because of language that indicated funds would not be returned to the donor if football did not return. UAB adjusted the wording of the gift agreement form to allow donors to get a full refund if football is not reinstated by Jan. 1, 2016. With the change in the wording, Craft actively encouraged the crowd on Thursday night to use the UAB gift agreements.

The hope is to get a significant amount of gift agreements turned in before College Sports Solutions submits its CarrSports review on May 15. Craft expects to get most of the pledges turned into gift agreements in the next week. However, he hopes the university will not discount the nearly $6 million in UAB Football Foundation pledges if all of them cannot be transitioned in time.

"It'd be a double standard if they truly are sincere about wanting to gauge interest...I don't think the title at the top of the form should make a different," Craft said. "But now that the changes have been made, we are totally happy and want to transition as many as we can."

Hire, a task force member, said that he previously made a six-figure donation on a cocktail napkin, and the school accepted it. In this situation, the school is expected to base its decision on the money committed via the gift agreement forms.

The task force is trying to raise as much money as possible in anticipation of the CSS report saying private money is necessary for UAB football to return. Craft called Thursday a significant step but admitted more money will be needed to achieve the necessary goals.