By Michael Tomberlin

UAB unveiled a new video today, kicking off a campaign for the 2016-17 season a year before football returns to the school.

The “Together We Are Greater Birmingham” video and promotion taps into the revived interest in football and other sports at the school after the football program was eliminated in December 2014. The return was announced six months later after a public outcry.

Burton Advertising produced the inaugural video for the campaign, which can be viewed below.

The green and gold colors of the school are sprinkled throughout the video along with images of Magic City icons like Vulcan, Railroad Park, Legion Field, Alabama Theatre and the UAB campus itself.

“The entire Birmingham community has rallied around UAB and this campaign is a way to show our appreciation for what the city has worked so hard to accomplish,” UAB Athletics Director Mark Ingram said. “UAB is a world-class institution located in a world-class city, and together we can achieve unprecedented levels of success. We are living proof of that.”

UAB just broke ground on a new football complex with practice fields and offices, the result of a major fundraising effort led by some of Birmingham’s largest corporations and business leaders.

“The support has been unwavering,” football coach Bill Clark said. “We have put shovels in the ground for our new Football Operations Center and it wouldn’t have been possible without Birmingham believing in UAB and our vision of becoming a championship caliber program.”

Although the returning football program is a point of emphasis, the new campaign will connect to all 18 Blazer sports programs. Fans are being asked to use the #TogetherWeAre hashtag on social media this season.