Protective Stadium and the Birmingham Bowl

Protective Stadium is a downtown Birmingham stadium that opened on October 2, 2021, at a cost of $175 million, with a capacity of about 47,100 [1]. It is the home of UAB football and, since December 2021, the Birmingham Bowl, a college football postseason game first played in 2006 [1][2]. The stadium is owned and operated by the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority and named for Protective Life under a 15-year agreement worth $1 million a year [1].

The stadium

UAB moved from Legion Field, its home since 1991, to Protective Stadium beginning in 2021; its October 2, 2021, debut was a 36–12 loss to Liberty before more than 35,000 fans [1]. Birmingham Legion FC has played there since 2022, with a record crowd of 18,418 for a U.S. Open Cup match against Inter Miami on June 7, 2023 [1]. Garth Brooks’s inaugural concert on June 4, 2022, drew an estimated 50,000 [1]. The stadium hosted the World Games opening ceremony on July 7, 2022, and in 2022 the USFL played most of its games there; the Birmingham Stallions have played there through 2025 [1]. It rotates the AHSAA Super 7 high school championships with Bryant–Denny and Jordan–Hare [1]. AMA Supercross visited in March 2024 and Monster Jam in March 2024 [1].

The Birmingham Bowl

The bowl is an NCAA-sanctioned FBS postseason game owned and run by ESPN Events, with UAB providing marketing and game-day support [2]. It was first played December 23, 2006, at Legion Field, with South Florida beating East Carolina 24–7 before 32,023 [2]. It moved to Protective Stadium with the December 2021 edition, when Houston beat Auburn 17–13 in the venue’s first sellout [1][2]. Its names have included PapaJohns.com Bowl (2006–2010), BBVA Compass Bowl (2011–2014), Birmingham Bowl (2015–2017), Jared Birmingham Bowl (2018), TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl (2019–2022), 76 Birmingham Bowl (2023) and JLab Birmingham Bowl (2025 onward) [2]. Conference tie-ins are the American and the SEC, with C-USA and the MAC as alternates [2].

Notable games include Auburn’s 31–10 win over Memphis in December 2015 before 59,430, the largest crowd in the game’s history; South Florida’s 46–39 overtime win over South Carolina in 2016; and East Carolina’s 53–29 win over Coastal Carolina in 2022 [2]. See Birmingham.

The stadium

Protective Stadium is an outdoor multi-purpose stadium in downtown Birmingham that opened October 2, 2021, with capacity of about 47,100. It is owned and operated by the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, designed by Populous Goodwyn Mills Cawood and cost about 5 million. It is named for Birmingham-based Protective Life under a 15-year deal worth million a year.[3]

Tenants and events

Tenants include UAB Blazers football, the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League, Birmingham Legion FC and the annual Birmingham Bowl. It hosted the World Games opening ceremony on July 7, 2022, with about 27,000 attending.[3]

FAQs

Who plays at Protective Stadium? UAB football, Birmingham Legion FC and Birmingham Stallions [1].

Where was the Birmingham Bowl first played? Legion Field, in 2006 [2].

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Protective Stadium
2. Wikipedia: Birmingham Bowl
3. Wikipedia: Protective Stadium

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue