Photos by Lance Sutehall and Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Protective Stadium 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard North Birmingham, AL 35203
Year Opened: 2021
Capacity: 47,100
UAB Blazing Their Own Path
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is the third largest public university by enrollment in the state. UAB became its institution after splitting from the main University of Alabama campus in 1969 and has become the third-largest university by enrollment with over 22,000 students.
The UAB Blazers athletics program began nearly a decade later in 1978 but it was not until 1991 that UAB would field a football team. After spending a couple of seasons in Division 3 and a few more in Division 1-AA (now FCS) the Blazers became a 1-A (now FBS) program in 1996.
UAB struggled to find any success as a football program, only securing one bowl game appearance before the football team shut down in 2014. Public outcry led to the UAB football team being reinstated in 2017 and the Blazers won two C-USA football championships and three out of five bowl games. UAB accepted an invitation to join the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2023 after playing in Conference USA (C-USA) for most of its time as an FBS program.
Legion Field was the home of Blazers football for most of the program’s history until 2021 when UAB moved to the brand-new Protective Stadium. The crowds were great in 2021 before head coach BIll Clark announced his retirement from coaching. The rebirth and most of the on-field successes of UAB football happened under the helm of Bill Clark and the Blazers have struggled under their current head coach Trent Dilfer.
Food & Beverage 4
There are a variety of concession stands located throughout the stadium. Sloss Steakhouse sells BBQ Sandwiches ($13), Conecuh Sausages ($12), Premium hot dogs ($6), Birmingham hot dogs ($8), pretzels ($6), nachos ($6), popcorn ($5), and candy ($5). Coca-Cola beverages are offered with Dasani water ($5), Powerade ($6.50), 32oz. sodas ($6.50), and Souvenir drinks ($10) being the options. Alcohol is sold at this stand with domestic drafts ($11) and premium/imports ($13) on offer.
Anvil Grill has chicken tenders ($13) and cheeseburgers ($8) as well as the snacks and beverages offered at Sloss Steakhouse. 4:2:1 Eats offers concessions on a budget with smaller hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, popcorn, 16. oz sodas, and bottled water (all aforementioned items are $3.50/each) as well as $5 12 oz. domestic beers.
Chicken Crossroads sells chicken tenders and corn dogs ($8) as well as snacks and beverages sold at other stands. There is also a Chick-fil-A stand open as well as a Lady Electra’s concession area that sells a wide variety of alcoholic beverages.
Atmosphere 3
Outside the south endzone of the venue is “Blazer Village” which features tailgating, fan activities, and a UAB Bookstore tent. It opens four hours before kickoff and closes 30 minutes before the start of the game. Around two and a half hours before kickoff the “Marching Blazers” start marching throughout the Uptown entertainment district. This culminates with the band joining the cheerleaders and the football team in the pregame Blazer Walk as they head inside the stadium.
The seating area is mostly bleacher seating with cushioned chairback seats at midfield on both sidelines. The home side of Protective Stadium has a building containing premium club seating that provides shade to the lower bowl. On the opposite side of the stadium is a second level of bleacher seating which means the visiting side has more seats than the home side. The “Marching Blazers” sit in the visitor's side of the stadium.
Neighborhood 4
Protective Stadium is part of the Birmingham-Jefferson County Complex (BJCC) that also contains Legacy Arena, home of the NBA G-League’s Squadron. The stadium is part of the Uptown entertainment district that includes restaurants such as The Southern Kitchen and Bar, Mugshots Grill and Bar, and Texas de Brazil.
There is a Sheraton and a Westin located within Uptown for lodging with both hotels a short walk to Protective Stadium.
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is located in the complex as well and is open Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm.
Fans 3
The fans are the reason UAB football came back from extinction in the mid-2010s. In 2014 the decision was made to shut down the UAB football program. Public outcry led to the program being reinstated in 2017 and support has never been better. The city of Birmingham has embraced the UAB Blazers and kept them at the forefront when building Protective Stadium.
Access 4
Protective Stadium is near the junction of I-20/59 and I-65. From I-20/59 Eastbound turn off Exit 124D and make a left at Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Boulevard. Make another left at 24th Street North and Protective Stadium will be on the left. From I-20/59 Westbound, turn off Exit 126B and stay in the left lane before making a right turn onto Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard. Protective Stadium will be in view on the right. From I-65 turn off at Exit 261A and follow the same instructions as I-20/59 Eastbound.
The BJCC has a parking garage behind the Westin for $20 parking and nearby street parking is free on weekends and weekday evenings after 6 pm. The concourse surrounding the stadium is very wide and does not get congested. The rows of bleachers are spaced out enough that fans do not have to make room to let someone pass by.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets start at $20 for endzone seats and go up to $50 for lower-level seats along the sideline at midfield. With $20 parking and affordable concessions at 4:2:1 Eats a person can expect to pay $50 for an afternoon of football, $80 for a date, and $130 for a family of four. A day out to see UAB football will not break the bank.
Extras 4
Protective Stadium is home to the Birmingham Stallions UFL football team and the Birmingham Legion soccer club. The stadium was home to the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 2022 World Games. Garth Brooks performed at Protective Stadium on June 4, 2022, setting the venue attendance record with over 45,000 fans packed in the stadium that night.
Final Thoughts
The once-dead UAB program has seen a renaissance in recent years. With a stadium that is better suited for the program than its prior one and a loyal fanbase UAB football has a good opportunity to grow its program even further.
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