Dec. 2, 2014 was a day UAB president Ray Watts announced that the school would be shutting down its football program.
Following Watts’ announcement, UAB fans, alumni, students and supporters rallied to successfully save the program with an announced return taking place June 1, 2015.
Mark Ingram was hired as UAB’s athletics director on May 1, 2015, leaving his position as executive senior associate athletics director at Temple. At Temple, he hired Matt Rhule as the Owls’ football head coach.
Ingram played at Tennessee from 1995-96. He was a long snapper for the Vols.
After completing a master’s degree at UT in sports administration in 1997, Ingram joined UT’s athletics department in 1998, serving as an assistant director of development.
From 2002-06, Ingram was an assistant athletics director for development at the University of Missouri, and then served in the same role at the University of Georgia before returning to Tennessee in 2007 as senior associate athletics director.
During his time working in UT’s athletics department, Ingram helped with renovations across campus that included Neyland Stadium and Lindsey Nelson Stadium. His responsibilities were raising money and working on design that included getting Charlie Anderson on board to build the Anderson Training Center with a $48 million contribution.
Since Ingram’s arrival with the Blazers, the former Vol has been able to be a part of building over 20 capital projects and facility renovations as UAB’s athletics director.
- BBVA Field
- UAB Football Operations Facility and Legacy Pavilion
- Protective Stadium
- High density storage
- Basketball weight room
- Men’s basketball office renovations
- Ticket office renovations
- Hoke Hire Academic Center renovations
- Olympic sports weight room renovations
- Nutrition station
- Softball stadium renovations
- Green and Gold Room renovations
- Champion Club upgrades
- Women’s basketball locker room renovations
- Baseball infield reconstruction
- New Olympic track and field
- New beach volleyball complex
- Baseball, softball and beach volleyball scoreboard
- Highway marquee board
- Olympic sports cardio training area
- Bartow Arena upgrades
- Men’s and women’s basketball practice facility
UAB played in its first football game at Protective Stadium on Oct. 2.
Below are various photos of capital projects and facility renovations during Ingram’s tenure as the Blazers’ athletics director.