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New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
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hooverblazer Offline
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New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index....iver_index

The County Commission today unanimously approved appropriating $30M towards the new stadium to be built downtown next to the BJCC (where the CUSA tournament was). This is the first piece of the financial puzzle.

The City of Birmingham is expected to contribute $90M with the rest coming from the BJCC, UAB's lease, and corporate partners.

Not totally a done deal, but the county commissioner that's leading the charge said he expects all financial commitments to be finalized within 60-90 days and to be breaking ground by the end of the year. Construction is expected to take ~2 years with the goal of opening for the 2020 UAB football season.

Stadium would be $174M with 45k permanent seats with the ability to add 10k temporary seats if necessary. Part of the plan also includes spending $123M to renovate the BJCC's Legacy Arena, Concert Hall, and existing convention space.

Exciting stuff!
01-11-2018 02:09 PM
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THUNDERStruck73 Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
Congrats Blazers. Certainly a huge step in the right direction. Good luck!
01-11-2018 02:11 PM
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Monarchist13 Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
Congrats, Blazers! There's a lot of jealous ODU fans right now with this news.
01-11-2018 02:14 PM
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xxxoduxxx Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
Question: Will this increase your attendance or will it decrease it? (true question; not trolling)

Another question: And how far is downtown from the main campus? Will it hurt student attendance? How is the public transportation system there? (Sorry I haven't been to UAB area)
01-11-2018 03:02 PM
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SouthernMiss3613 Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 02:09 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index....iver_index

The County Commission today unanimously approved appropriating $30M towards the new stadium to be built downtown next to the BJCC (where the CUSA tournament was). This is the first piece of the financial puzzle.

The City of Birmingham is expected to contribute $90M with the rest coming from the BJCC, UAB's lease, and corporate partners.

Not totally a done deal, but the county commissioner that's leading the charge said he expects all financial commitments to be finalized within 60-90 days and to be breaking ground by the end of the year. Construction is expected to take ~2 years with the goal of opening for the 2020 UAB football season.

Stadium would be $174M with 45k permanent seats with the ability to add 10k temporary seats if necessary. Part of the plan also includes spending $123M to renovate the BJCC's Legacy Arena, Concert Hall, and existing convention space.

Exciting stuff!


Not to be negative, but an on campus stadium is what you need.
01-11-2018 03:14 PM
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hooverblazer Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 03:02 PM)xxxoduxxx Wrote:  Question: Will this increase your attendance or will it decrease it? (true question; not trolling)

Another question: And how far is downtown from the main campus? Will it hurt student attendance? How is the public transportation system there? (Sorry I haven't been to UAB area)

The campus is on the south end of downtown and this stadium would be on the north end of downtown. It's about a mile and a half from campus (same as Legion Field), but in a much better area. Instead of being off-campus in a terrible neighborhood it'll be off-campus but surrounded by hotels, restaurants/bars, Topgolf, Legacy Arena, etc.

I would think both student attendance and general attendance would be much better at the new stadium given it's better location, newness vs decrepit Legion Field, and things to do around the stadium.

Public transit isn't great, but UAB has it's campus bus system that we use to get people to games. It picks up students from the dorms and there's a big UAB parking lot the general public can use for gamedays and ride the UAB shuttle to the stadium.
01-11-2018 03:18 PM
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hooverblazer Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 03:14 PM)SouthernMiss3613 Wrote:  
(01-11-2018 02:09 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index....iver_index

The County Commission today unanimously approved appropriating $30M towards the new stadium to be built downtown next to the BJCC (where the CUSA tournament was). This is the first piece of the financial puzzle.

The City of Birmingham is expected to contribute $90M with the rest coming from the BJCC, UAB's lease, and corporate partners.

Not totally a done deal, but the county commissioner that's leading the charge said he expects all financial commitments to be finalized within 60-90 days and to be breaking ground by the end of the year. Construction is expected to take ~2 years with the goal of opening for the 2020 UAB football season.

Stadium would be $174M with 45k permanent seats with the ability to add 10k temporary seats if necessary. Part of the plan also includes spending $123M to renovate the BJCC's Legacy Arena, Concert Hall, and existing convention space.

Exciting stuff!


Not to be negative, but an on campus stadium is what you need.

Any UAB fan would prefer that, but it's just not in the cards. The UA BOT won't authorize us spending any money on that. They won't let us issue a bond for construction and instead would require 100% of the money being in hand before construction started. So we'll get an on campus stadium as soon as one of us wins the lottery and can stroke a $150M check all at one time.
(This post was last modified: 01-11-2018 03:21 PM by hooverblazer.)
01-11-2018 03:21 PM
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Ourland Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 03:02 PM)xxxoduxxx Wrote:  Question: Will this increase your attendance or will it decrease it? (true question; not trolling)

Another question: And how far is downtown from the main campus? Will it hurt student attendance? How is the public transportation system there? (Sorry I haven't been to UAB area)

Exactly what I was thinking. Good questions.
01-11-2018 09:47 PM
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xxxoduxxx Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 03:18 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  
(01-11-2018 03:02 PM)xxxoduxxx Wrote:  Question: Will this increase your attendance or will it decrease it? (true question; not trolling)

Another question: And how far is downtown from the main campus? Will it hurt student attendance? How is the public transportation system there? (Sorry I haven't been to UAB area)

The campus is on the south end of downtown and this stadium would be on the north end of downtown. It's about a mile and a half from campus (same as Legion Field), but in a much better area. Instead of being off-campus in a terrible neighborhood it'll be off-campus but surrounded by hotels, restaurants/bars, Topgolf, Legacy Arena, etc.

I would think both student attendance and general attendance would be much better at the new stadium given it's better location, newness vs decrepit Legion Field, and things to do around the stadium.

Public transit isn't great, but UAB has it's campus bus system that we use to get people to games. It picks up students from the dorms and there's a big UAB parking lot the general public can use for gamedays and ride the UAB shuttle to the stadium.

Thank you for your answer. 04-bow


IMO it's like ODU having a stadium in downtown. The only prob is that our Hampton Roads Transportation(HRT) system sucks just like yours. By car you could take a 3-minute ride to downtown. But by bus it takes 40 min to 1hr including waiting time.

There could be a decline in student attendance from what I see.
(This post was last modified: 01-11-2018 11:16 PM by xxxoduxxx.)
01-11-2018 11:08 PM
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Shrack Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 11:08 PM)xxxoduxxx Wrote:  
(01-11-2018 03:18 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  
(01-11-2018 03:02 PM)xxxoduxxx Wrote:  Question: Will this increase your attendance or will it decrease it? (true question; not trolling)

Another question: And how far is downtown from the main campus? Will it hurt student attendance? How is the public transportation system there? (Sorry I haven't been to UAB area)

The campus is on the south end of downtown and this stadium would be on the north end of downtown. It's about a mile and a half from campus (same as Legion Field), but in a much better area. Instead of being off-campus in a terrible neighborhood it'll be off-campus but surrounded by hotels, restaurants/bars, Topgolf, Legacy Arena, etc.

I would think both student attendance and general attendance would be much better at the new stadium given it's better location, newness vs decrepit Legion Field, and things to do around the stadium.

Public transit isn't great, but UAB has it's campus bus system that we use to get people to games. It picks up students from the dorms and there's a big UAB parking lot the general public can use for gamedays and ride the UAB shuttle to the stadium.

Thank you for your answer.


IMO it's like ODU having a stadium in downtown. The only prob is that our Hampton Roads Transportation(HRT) system sucks just like yours. By car you could take a 3-minute ride to downtown. But by bus it takes 40 min to 1hr including waiting time.

There could be a decline in student attendance from what I see.
Eh honestly I doubt it. I'd think students would be a lot more inclined to come to the BJCC than the area surrounding Legion Field. The BJCC has much better perception than the other

I can only imagine attendance would increase across the board

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01-11-2018 11:22 PM
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xxxoduxxx Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 11:22 PM)Shrack Wrote:  Eh honestly I doubt it. I'd think students would be a lot more inclined to come to the BJCC than the area surrounding Legion Field. The BJCC has much better perception than the other

I can only imagine attendance would increase across the board

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Great to hear that. Increase in attn, is good for CUSA.
01-11-2018 11:43 PM
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-11-2018 03:02 PM)xxxoduxxx Wrote:  Question: Will this increase your attendance or will it decrease it? (true question; not trolling)

Another question: And how far is downtown from the main campus? Will it hurt student attendance? How is the public transportation system there? (Sorry I haven't been to UAB area)

The downtown or off campus stadiums like this are good for schools like UAB who for one reason or another just cant get one on campus. However, it will never provide the college game day atmosphere where friends and alums meet on game day for festivities of all kinds. drawing cards that keep the students, school, fans, and community glued together. A prime example of this is the Tulane experience with the superdome. Their fan base and attendance dwindled to no more than a small cluster after they tore down their stadium and moved to the dome. Their new stadium on campus now, although small, has turned the program and fan involvement back into a very positive direction. Playing in the city stadium will be a nicer place for UAB but wont add much for attendance one way or the other.
(This post was last modified: 01-12-2018 10:12 AM by eager eagle.)
01-12-2018 10:08 AM
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Shrack Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
(01-12-2018 10:08 AM)eager eagle Wrote:  
(01-11-2018 03:02 PM)xxxoduxxx Wrote:  Question: Will this increase your attendance or will it decrease it? (true question; not trolling)

Another question: And how far is downtown from the main campus? Will it hurt student attendance? How is the public transportation system there? (Sorry I haven't been to UAB area)

The downtown or off campus stadiums like this are good for schools like UAB who for one reason or another just cant get one on campus. However, it will never provide the college game day atmosphere where friends and alums meet on game day for festivities of all kinds. drawing cards that keep the students, school, fans, and community glued together. A prime example of this is the Tulane experience with the superdome. Their fan base and attendance dwindled to no more than a small cluster after they tore down their stadium and moved to the dome. Their new stadium on campus now, although small, has turned the program and fan involvement back into a very positive direction. Playing in the city stadium will be a nicer place for UAB but wont add much for attendance one way or the other.
Don't think I agree. Way more people are willing to come to the BJCC than just about any other part of Birmingham. A lot of people supposedly will not go to UAB games at Legion Field because they "fear for their safety". Wrong or right, that's just how the perception is. Not to mention Legion Field is an old dump anyways. We will see if people have just used that as an excuse in the past or not if this project is completed.

An OCS would be obviously be preferred, but considering we just resurrected football this is a nice thing to have happen

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01-12-2018 05:21 PM
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msm96wolf Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
I never thought UAB could have risen so quickly from the ashes. UAB fans and supporters should be a model for many other programs. I have never been so happy to be wrong in my predictions. I 01-ncaabbs to UAB Football forever questioning if the program could come back. Wishing UAB repeats their success plus a bowl win next year. 04-cheers
(This post was last modified: 01-12-2018 06:06 PM by msm96wolf.)
01-12-2018 06:05 PM
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
This will be huge for UAB football. As a once casual UAB fan in the late 90s, then student, now alumnus & booster I can unequivocally say that the new stadium will be the best thing to happen for UAB Football since The Return.
Biggest selling points:
#1-VISIBILITY for the program: The stadium will be seen by literally hundreds of thousands of people a day, whether they are attending events at the BJCC, dining or staying in a hotel in Uptown, or simply driving I20/59 or I65. Every person coming into or passing through Birmingham from the airport will see the stadium and the signage and color scheme should leave no doubt that it's UAB's home.

#2-Recruiting Players and Coaches: Legion Field is historic, but when it's not gameday the stadium and surrounding neighborhood is a negative when selling the program. No matter how many green tarps you put up, you can't hide the barbed wire, shuttered housing, rust, peeling paint, and crimson signage and walkways. The locker room facilities are bare bones and even the home locker room feels more like a visitors'.

#3-Gameday Atmosphere: While tailgating may take a hit in the first couple seasons, everything else will be improved. Legion Field's 73k seats sit back further from the field than nearly every other stadium I've ever stepped foot in. It swallows sound and literally takes any crowd out of the game. The new stadium with 40-45k seats creates immediate demand for premium seating and will put the fans as close to the field as feasible. New concessions facilities mean more food choices and quicker transactions.

This should be a gem of a stadium. Can't wait for it to get here.
01-13-2018 12:05 AM
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ATTALLABLAZE Offline
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This is huge for UAB and will be a boost for attendance and recruiting.
01-13-2018 07:30 PM
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bit_9 Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
That's awesome. I know many odu fans are jealous but yall deserve it. Shuttering has revived and reinvigorated your program.

Posted from mobile device. Hopefully it's coherent.
01-13-2018 07:51 PM
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
Outstanding news for UAB and really for all of Metro-B'ham.

During those dark days after 02nd December 2014, I honestly questioned if UAB would ever get a football team back again. But since the return was announced in June 2015, I felt certain that a new stadium would eventually get built. The exact when-and-where was unclear, but eventually it would happen.

I'd love to see Blazers Stadium go live in August 2020, but I have to say that is an incredibly optimistic timeframe. Good luck to all UAB students and fans on this.
01-13-2018 08:58 PM
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Redbird Ray Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
How many events per year will take place at this facility?
01-14-2018 08:48 AM
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Artifice Offline
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RE: New Stadium in Downtown Birmingham Takes a Step Forward
I know Legion Field has hosted the Magic City Classic Football Game between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University for years, and that game typically sells 60,000 tickets and generates north of $20Million economic impact. I'd assume they'd add the 10k temp seats and host that game at BJCC.

Any chance you get a bowl game there?
01-14-2018 09:26 AM
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