Actually they promised it to recruits years ago, and have already had proposals. That's actually part of the problem I have with this whole situation. It's not like Troy football which is perfectly content with their old stadium (and has better attendance than either UAB or South). South Alabama started their football program knowing darn well they wanted to build a stadium, that it was part of their plan, yet because the money wasn't there they didn't start chirping about it until after they got their program approved and underway. That way they could move forward even though the money and support wasn't there. It's not faux outrage, I'm already upset that they get rent free use of city facilities.
They're hovering around 16K attendance, despite even some people here proclaiming that they'd do far better than that. It is also the same excuse. Legion field is why UAB doesn't have fans show up, even if Alabama had no problem filling Legion field. Ladd is why South doesn't have fans showing up, even though Tim Tebow, or Miss. State can easily fill the stadium. So inevitably, we will back to the whole, hey can someone give me 75+ million? I like really need it for stuff. Yeah I will be outraged because they like really needed a football program and and ever since then they've like really needed a lot of other people's money to support something that fans haven't supported.
Edit: I suppose it is only fair to address some of the other things you said. The simple rebuttal is that if UAB fans really cared they'd still have shown up. You don't have to beg real fans to show up, you don't have to stir them up, or get them worked up. If they truly loved UAB football they'd have been there, we both know that. In addition, the promised money, the student fees, the city fees, all that "interest" that has spiked doesn't necessarily demonstrate true love for UAB football either. If UAB (without giving tickets away) can sustain 20K+ attendance for several years in a row, then I might view the situation differently. But, I and many others see this is a temporary reaction.
Well first you have to remember the rule exists for a reason. Just like the rule exists that you can't pay players. As to why the rule isn't enforced, I can paraphrase a quote from a coach a few years back: "we've been trying to level the playing field for years". The obvious answer as to why they don't enforce the rule is because it goes against leveling the playing field. I do think there's another reason that they got in the habit though, and that was because I think they dreamed of a time in which they could take over the post season in football like they did in basketball. In either case, they didn't do their job and enforce their own rules.
I grew up cheering for South Alabama basketball and baseball. Now I won't have anything to do with that athletic department...
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