 On January 16, 2016, the UAB football team announced its slate of non-conference opponents when it returns to play in the 2017 season.On August 29, 2016, UAB broke ground on a $22.5-million football operations center including a $4.2-million covered pavilion practice field with an anticipated completion date of summer 2017.The center was opened to the public on August 18, 2017.