Birmingham’s sports scene will soon have a big new addition.
On Oct. 2, UAB will take the field against Liberty University at the new Protective Stadium at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
The stadium’s debut will make a huge victory for UAB Football, which was shut down nearly seven years ago before a remarkable – and successful rebirth. But it will also mark a pivotal point for Birmingham, which had been debating the merits of a new downtown football venue for decades.
The nearly $180 million stadium will seat 45,000 fans. It was built by Birmingham’s Brasfield & Gorrie with a number of local firms also involved in the project. In addition to UAB Football, the stadium will host a number of other sporting events, including the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2022 World Games. It also helped lure the Alabama state football championships back to the Magic City on a rotating basis.
Take a first look at the new stadium in the gallery above and look for more coverage about Protective Stadium and its impact on Birmingham at BBJ.com in the weeks to come.
Source: https://www.bizjournals.com
