Editing Legion Field

{{Short description|Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States}}
{{About|the stadium in Birmingham, Alabama|the stadium in Greenville, Mississippi|Legion Field (Greenville, Mississippi)}}
{{Use American English|date = September 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Legion Field
| nickname = "Football Capital of the South"<br>"Old Gray Lady"
| image = Legion Field Aerial 2015.PNG
| image_size = 
| caption = Aerial view in 2015
| location = 400 Graymont Avenue West<br>[[Birmingham, Alabama]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|33|30|41|N|86|50|34|W|type:landmark|display=it}}
| pushpin_map = USA Alabama#USA
| pushpin_relief = 1
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in [[Alabama]]##Location in the [[United States]]
| pushpin_mapsize = 230
| broke_ground = 1926
| built = 
| opened = November 19, 1927<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bonesville.net/Articles/AlMyatt/2007/08/080207_Myatt.htm|title=080207 AL MYATT ::: ACC fast-breaking to Minges &#91;bk&#93;}}</ref>
| expanded = 1934, 1948, 1961, 1965, 1977, 1991
| renovated = 1961, 1965, 2005, 2015<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/ConfUSA/AlabamaBirmingham/index.htm |title=Legion Field|access-date=October 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705125920/http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/ConfUSA/AlabamaBirmingham/index.htm |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| owner = [[Birmingham, Alabama|City of Birmingham]]
| operator = 
| surface = [[FieldTurf]] (2006–present)<br>[[AstroTurf]] (1975–1994)<br>[[Poly-Turf]] (1970–1974)<br>Natural grass (1927–1969, 1995–2005)
| construction_cost = [[United States dollar|$]]439,000 (7.82 million in 2024)
| architect = [[D.O. Whilldin]]
| former_names = 
| tenants = {{plainlist|
* [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama Crimson Tide]] (alternate site) ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1927–2003)
* [[Birmingham–Southern Panthers football|Birmingham–Southern Panthers]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1927–1939)
* [[Samford Bulldogs football|Samford Bulldogs]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1927–1944)
* [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn Tigers]] (alternate site) ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1928–1991)
* [[Magic City Classic]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1946–present)
* [[Iron Bowl]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1948–1988, 1990–1992, 1994, 1996, 1998)
* [[Dixie Bowl]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1948–1949)
* [[All-American Bowl]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1977–1990)
* [[UAB Blazers football|UAB Blazers]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1991–2014, 2017–2020)
* [[SEC Championship Game]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1992–1993)
* [[TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl|Birmingham Bowl]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (2006–2020)
* [[Birmingham Americans]] ([[World Football League|WFL]]) (1974)
* [[Birmingham Vulcans]] ([[World Football League|WFL]]) (1975)
* [[Alabama Vulcans]] ([[American Football Association (1978–1983)|AFA]]) (1979)
* [[Birmingham Stallions]] ([[United States Football League|USFL]]) (1983–1985)
* [[Birmingham Fire]] ([[World League of American Football|WLAF]]) (1991–1992)
* [[Birmingham Barracudas]] ([[Canadian Football League|CFL]]) (1995)
* [[Birmingham Thunderbolts]] ([[XFL (2001)|XFL]]) (2001)
* [[Birmingham Iron]] ([[Alliance of American Football|AAF]]) (2019)
* [[United States Football League (2022)|USFL]] (2022)
}}
| seating_capacity = 71,594
| website = {{URL|https://www.birminghamal.gov/parks-and-recreation/legion-field/|birminghamal.gov/legion-field}}
{{Infobox historic site
  | embed = yes
  | name = 
  | designation1 = Alabama Register
  | designation1_offname =
  | designation1_date = June 14, 2018<ref>{{cite web |title=Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage Listings as of April 7, 2023 |url=https://ahc.alabama.gov/AlabamaRegisterPDFs/Alabama%20Register%20of%20Landmarks%20&%20Heritage%20Property%20Listing%20(for%20web1).pdf |website=ahc.alabama.gov |access-date=2 February 2024}}</ref>
  | designation1_number = }}
}}

'''Legion Field''' is an outdoor [[stadium]] in the [[southeastern United States]] in [[Birmingham, Alabama]], primarily designed to be used as a venue for [[American football]], but occasionally used for other large outdoor events. Opened in 1927, it is named in honor of the [[American Legion]], a U.S. organization of military [[veterans]].

The stadium served as the primary venue for [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama Crimson Tide]] home games until the late 1990s and was for many years the site of the annual [[Iron Bowl]] rivalry game against [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]]. The [[UAB Blazers football|UAB football team]] played at Legion Field from their inception in 1991 through the 2020 season. It has also hosted teams from various professional football leagues.

Since the removal of its east-side upper deck in 2005, Legion Field has a [[seating capacity]] of approximately 71,594. At its peak, it seated 83,091 for football and had the name "Football Capital of the South" emblazoned from the facade on the upper deck. Legion Field is colloquially called "The Old Gray Lady" and "The Gray Lady on Graymont".

==Stadium history==

Construction of a 21,000-seat stadium began in 1926 at the cost of $439,000. It was completed in 1927 and named Legion Field as a [[war memorial]] in honor of the recently-established [[American Legion]]. In the stadium's first event, 16,800 fans watched [[Samford Bulldogs football|Howard College]] (now known as [[Samford University]]) shut out [[1927 Birmingham–Southern Panthers football team|Birmingham–Southern College]] 9–0 on November 19, 1927.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82553977/howard-bulldogs-snarl-way-to-victory-in/|work=The Birmingham News|title=Howard Bulldogs snarl way to victory in new stadium|date=November 20, 1927|accessdate=July 31, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Over the years, the stadium grew. The expansions didn't follow the designer's initial intent on the stadium becoming a monumental horseshoe-shaped amphitheater.<ref>"[http://stadiumdb.com/news/2015/09/new_stadiums_old_gray_lady_and_others New stadiums: Old Gray Lady and others]" (September 25, 2015) StadiumDB.com</ref> Capacity was increased to 25,000 in 1934 and to 45,000 in 1948, and the bowl was enclosed. In 1961, a 9,000 seat upper deck was added to the east side of the stadium, increasing capacity to 54,600. In 1965, a new press box was built in the stadium and capacity was further increased to 68,821. The first nationally televised night college football game at Legion Field was between [[Ole Miss Rebels football|Ole Miss]] and Alabama on [[1969 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|October 4, 1969]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Drehs | first=Wayne | title=Football fading away | website=ESPN.com | date=2004-11-04 | url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/footballinamerica/news/story?id=1915891 | access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref>

In 1970, the natural grass turf was replaced with [[Poly-Turf]], which was in turn replaced by [[AstroTurf]] in 1975. [[Seating capacity]] was increased to 75,808 in 1977 and further increased to 83,091 in 1991. The turf was changed back to a natural [[Cynodon dactylon|Bermuda grass]] surface in 1995 in order to host [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|soccer]] events for the [[1996 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]].<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1996/1996v1.pdf 1996 Summer Olympics official report.] Volume 1. p. 541.</ref> In 2006, the field went back to an artificial surface with infilled [[FieldTurf]]. The field has a conventional north–south alignment at an approximate [[elevation]] of {{convert|570|ft}} above [[sea level]].

In [[2004 in sports|2004]], a structural evaluation determined that the 9,000 seat upper deck would need major remediation to meet modern building codes. With little prospect of adequate repairs on the way, the [[University of Alabama]] withdrew the few home games it still scheduled for [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20040820101853/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5762465/ Alabama forced to abandon unsafe Legion Field]" (August 19, 2003) Associated Press</ref> The city removed the upper deck in 2005 since the capacity was greater than the need for its tenants. In 2015, renovations took place including general improvements and overall renovations including a new and larger video scoreboard along with a new and improved sound system.

The stadium's future beyond the 2020 college football season is uncertain. The Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center Authority started construction of a new stadium on the [[Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex]] grounds in July 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.al.com/news/2019/07/crews-dig-in-at-new-birmingham-stadium-site.html |title=Crews dig in at new Birmingham stadium site |first=Anna |last=Beahm |website=[[Advance Publications|al.com]] |date=July 25, 2019 |access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref> UAB football moved into the new 47,000-seat [[Protective Stadium]], in 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.al.com/news/2019/04/protective-life-gets-naming-rights-for-birminghams-new-stadium.html |title=Protective Life gets naming rights for Birmingham's new stadium |first=Roy S. |last=Johnson |website=[[Advance Publications|al.com]] |date=April 11, 2019 |access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2020/06/18/protective-stadium-to-have-a-1-200-seat-increase.html |title=Seating capacity increased for Protective Stadium |first=Tyler |last=Patchen |publisher=Birmingham Business Journal |date=June 18, 2020 |access-date=September 24, 2020}}</ref>

==College football==
===UAB Blazers===

Legion Field served as the home field of the [[UAB Blazers]], members of [[Conference USA]], from 1991 to 2020. The Blazers temporarily left Legion Field without a primary tenant during the school's two-year hiatus from football.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/cusa/2014/12/02/uab-blazers-football-shutdown-program-dropped/19781387/|title=UAB shuts down its football program|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=2014-12-02 |date=2014-12-02}}</ref> The Blazers returned to Legion Field for the first time in two years on September 2, 2017, setting a new attendance record in a 38–7 victory over [[Alabama A&M Bulldogs football|Alabama A&M]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2017/09/uab_attendance_for_return.html|title=UAB sets new attendance record in return game vs. Alabama A&M|work=AL.com|access-date=2017-09-19|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Iron Bowl===

Legion Field was well known for hosting the regular season-ending rivalry between Alabama and Auburn each year from 1948 to 1988. Because of Birmingham's major industry of iron and steel manufacturing, the game became known as the "[[Iron Bowl]]." From the series' resumption in 1948 to 1987, each team rotated claiming home-field rights, with Alabama as the nominal home team in even-numbered years and Auburn as the nominal home team in odd-numbered years. Tickets were split equally between the two athletic departments to sell, similar to other rivalries like the [[Red River Shootout]] between Oklahoma and Texas or the [[World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party]] between Georgia and Florida.

For many years, the Iron Bowl was played in Birmingham more or less out of necessity. Neither Alabama's [[Bryant-Denny Stadium]] nor Auburn's [[Jordan-Hare Stadium]] were nearly large enough to accommodate the large crowds that attended the game even in the 1950s. Additionally, Birmingham was much more accessible to the rest of the state well into the 1970s.

By the 1980s, Jordan-Hare Stadium had expanded to seat over 80,000 people. Combined with Legion Field's decades-long association with Alabama football (see below), this led Auburn fans to lobby for making the Iron Bowl a home-and-home series, or at the very least allow Auburn to move its home games to Jordan-Hare. At the time, Alabama was Auburn's only major rival to have never played a game on the Plains. Ultimately, in [[1989 in sports|1989]], Auburn moved its home games in the series to Jordan-Hare. Thus, tickets for games held at Legion Field were no longer split equally. Auburn did host an Iron Bowl home game at Legion Field in 1991, but since then all Iron Bowls have been played at Auburn in odd-numbered years. In [[2000 in sports|2000]], Alabama followed suit and decided to no longer play its home games against Auburn at Legion Field. Alabama holds a 32–15 advantage over Auburn in games played at Legion Field.

===Other Alabama and Auburn football games===

Alabama and Auburn used Legion Field as an alternate home stadium for much of the 20th century. At its height, Legion Field seated over 20,000 more people than Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium and Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, making it a natural choice for games likely to attract large crowds. Between its use for the Iron Bowl and as an alternate home stadium for the Crimson Tide and Tigers, Legion Field played host to many of the most important football games in Alabama's history.

Well into the 1980s, Alabama played most of its important games, as well as the Iron Bowl, at Legion Field—to the point that most of Alabama's "home" football history from the 1920s to the 1980s took place in Birmingham.<ref name="Legion_all-time">{{cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-awards.pdf |title=Alabama Football At Legion Field |work=2010 Alabama Football Media Guide |publisher=University of Alabama Athletic Department |pages=141–142 |access-date=February 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523102902/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-awards.pdf |archive-date=May 23, 2011 }}</ref> In addition to the larger capacity, Birmingham was more accessible than Tuscaloosa for much of the 20th century—even though Tuscaloosa is only 45 minutes west of Birmingham. The Crimson Tide hosted Tennessee in odd-numbered years in Birmingham until 1998, and hosted LSU in even-numbered years from 1964 through 1986, except for 1980. Well into the 1990s, Alabama usually played anywhere from three to four home games a year at Legion Field. Alabama also played its entire 1987 home schedule at Legion Field due to major renovations at Bryant–Denny Stadium.<ref name="Legion_all-time"/> The stadium's association with Alabama football was so strong that from the 1980s onward, Auburn lobbied to have its home games in the Iron Bowl played in Auburn.

Until 1999, Alabama played at least three games at Legion Field every season. In 1998, Alabama double-decked the east stands at Bryant-Denny, bringing its capacity to a few hundred more seats than that of Legion Field. Due to the disrepair of Legion Field and the added capacity in Tuscaloosa, Alabama moved major conference games on campus. In the ensuing years, Alabama decreased the number of games scheduled in Birmingham. The last home game for Alabama at Legion Field was against the [[South Florida Bulls football|University of South Florida]] on August 30, 2003. Though Alabama had a couple of games scheduled at Legion Field in 2005 and 2008, the stadium's poor state of repair (see above) led Alabama to end its contract with the city of Birmingham in 2004 and move all home games to Tuscaloosa.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5762465/ |title=Alabama forced to abandon unsafe Legion Field - College football- NBC Sports |access-date=2012-12-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106064422/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5762465 |archive-date=2013-01-06 }}</ref>

Auburn also used Legion Field for some home games well into the 1970s due to the larger capacity and the difficulty in traveling to Auburn for most of the 20th century. Auburn played all home games against Tennessee at Legion Field until 1978, except in 1974, when the game was played in Auburn.<ref>College Football Data Warehouse, [http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/auburn/opponents_records.php?teamid=3180 Auburn vs Tennessee]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115202027/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/auburn/opponents_records.php?teamid=3180 |date=January 15, 2015 }} Retrieved November 5, 2016.</ref> Auburn also played all home games against [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]] at Legion Field until 1970. Auburn played its last home game at Legion Field in 1991, but took part in the [[Birmingham Bowl]] at the same stadium in 2015 as a postseason bowl game.

===Other college football games===

{{wide image|Legion Field Magic City Classic.jpg|750px|Magic City Classic in Legion Field on October 26, 2013}}

Legion Field has hosted a number of other college football games. The annual [[Magic City Classic]] between [[Alabama A&M University]] and [[Alabama State University]] has been played here since 1946. The Steel City Classic featuring [[Miles College]] and [[Stillman College]] is also played at Legion Field. The [[Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference|MEAC]]/[[Southwestern Athletic Conference|SWAC]] Challenge was played at Legion Field from 2005 to 2007, but moved to Orlando in 2008.

Birmingham–Southern College played against Mississippi College's junior varsity team in Legion Field on September 6, 2007, in their first football game since 1939.

In terms of postseason play, the Southwestern Athletic Conference used the stadium for their [[SWAC Championship Game|conference championship]] from 1999 to 2012, but moved to Houston's [[NRG Stadium]] in 2013. The [[Southeastern Conference]] played their first two conference title games here in 1992 and 1993.

This stadium has also hosted four different bowl games in its history:
*[[Dixie Bowl]] (1947–48)
*[[Hall of Fame Bowl]] (1977–1985) This game moved to [[Tampa, Florida]] in 1986 and was renamed the Outback Bowl in 1995.
*[[All-American Bowl]] (1986–1990)
*[[TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl]] (2006–2020)

==Professional football==

Legion Field has served as the home stadium for various professional football teams in Birmingham. It served as home field for the [[Birmingham Americans]] (1974) and [[Birmingham Vulcans]] (1975) of the [[World Football League]] (1974–1975), the [[Alabama Vulcans]] of the American Football Association (1979), the [[Birmingham Stallions]] of the [[United States Football League]] (1983–1985), and the [[Birmingham Fire]] of the [[World League of American Football]] (later [[NFL Europe]]) in 1991–92. In [[1995 in sports|1995]], it was the home field of the [[Birmingham Barracudas]] for their single season of play as part of the short-lived expansion of the [[Canadian Football League]] into the United States. In [[2001 in sports|2001]], it was the home field for the single season of the [[Birmingham Thunderbolts]] of the [[XFL (2001)|XFL]]. In [[2019 in sports|2019]], it was the home field for the [[Birmingham Iron]] of the [[Alliance of American Football]]. There have also been at least two [[National Football League|NFL]] preseason games here, on August 8, 1970, when the [[New York Jets]] defeated the [[Buffalo Bills]] 33–10, and on August 27, 1988, when the [[Washington Redskins]] defeated the [[Atlanta Falcons]] 34–17.

In 1968, the [[New England Patriots|Boston Patriots]] of the [[American Football League]] played one "home" game against the [[New York Jets]] at Legion Field. The Jets, featuring former Alabama quarterback [[Joe Namath]], won the game 47–31.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patriots.com/stadium/index.cfm?ac=stadium |title=Official New England Patriots - Stadium - History |access-date=2009-09-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010071429/http://www.patriots.com/stadium/index.cfm?ac=stadium |archive-date=2007-10-10 }}</ref>

The inaugural [[2022 USFL season|2022 season]] of the [[USFL (2022)|USFL]] was played at [[Protective Stadium]] and Legion Field.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-18|title=USFL announce plans for inaugural season in Birmingham|url=https://www.al.com/sports/2022/01/usfl-announce-plans-for-inaugural-season-in-birmingham.html|access-date=2022-01-20|website=al|language=en}}</ref> For the [[2023 USFL season|2023 season]], Protective Stadium served as the home stadium for the [[Birmingham Stallions (2022)|Birmingham Stallions]] and [[New Orleans Breakers (2022)|New Orleans Breakers]].

==High school football==

Legion Field has hosted various high school football games throughout its history. From 1996 until 2008, Legion Field was used by the [[Alabama High School Athletic Association]] for the Super Six high school football championships.

==Soccer==

Legion Field has been used as a site for major [[association football|soccer]] events, including [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|preliminary matches]] in the [[1996 Summer Olympics]]—the opening match between the United States and [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] drew 83,810 spectators, the stadium's all-time record for any event. All of the later-round soccer games moved to [[Athens, Georgia]], after preliminary games had been played in various other cities.

Legion Field has also hosted exhibition games by the [[United States men's national soccer team|U.S. men's]] and [[United States women's national soccer team|women's national soccer teams]]. The men's team played a [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|World Cup qualification]] match against [[Guatemala national football team|Guatemala]] at the stadium on March 30, 2005.

When the City of Birmingham changed back to an artificial turf field in 2006, the [[United States Soccer Federation]] announced that it would no longer be scheduling men's national team games for Legion Field.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

===1996 Olympic Soccer Men's tournament matches===

{{Clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style=font-size:100%
|-
!Date
!Time ([[Central Time Zone|CDT]])
!Team #1
!Score
!Team #2
!Round
!Attendance
|-
|July 20, 1996||6:30&nbsp;p.m.||{{fb|USA}}||style="text-align:center;"|1–3||'''{{fb|ARG}}'''||Group A||style="text-align:center;"|83,183
|-
|July 21, 1996||4:00&nbsp;p.m.||'''{{fb|MEX}}'''||style="text-align:center;"|1–0||{{fb|ITA}}||Group C||style="text-align:center;"|44,211
|-
|July 22, 1996||6:30&nbsp;p.m.||'''{{fb|USA}}'''||style="text-align:center;"|2–0||{{fb|TUN}}||Group A||style="text-align:center;"|45,687
|-
|July 23, 1996||7:00&nbsp;p.m.||{{fb|MEX}}||style="text-align:center;"|0–0||{{fb|KOR}}||Group C||style="text-align:center;"|26,111
|-
|July 24, 1996||6:30&nbsp;p.m.||{{fb|ARG}}||style="text-align:center;"|1–1||{{fb|TUN}}||Group A||style="text-align:center;"|16,826
|-
|July 25, 1996||8:00&nbsp;p.m.||'''{{fb|ITA}}'''||style="text-align:center;"|2–1||{{fb|KOR}}||Group C||style="text-align:center;"|28,319
|}

===1996 Olympic Soccer Women's tournament matches===

{{Clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style=font-size:100%
|-
!Date
!Time ([[Central Time Zone|CDT]])
!Team #1
!Score
!Team #2
!Round
!Attendance
|-
|July 21, 1996||12:30&nbsp;p.m.||'''{{fbw|GER}}'''||style="text-align:center;"|3–2||{{fbw|JPN}}||rowspan=3|Group B||style="text-align:center;"|44.211
|-
|July 23, 1996||3:30&nbsp;p.m.||'''{{fbw|BRA}}'''||style="text-align:center;"|2–0||{{fbw|JPN}}||style="text-align:center;"|26.111
|-
|July 25, 1996||5:30&nbsp;p.m.||{{fbw|BRA}}||style="text-align:center;"|1–1||{{fbw|GER}}||style="text-align:center;"|28.319
|}

==Concerts and other events==
Legion Field has also been used as a concert venue, hosting famous artists of many different genres, including [[U2]], [[Ruben Studdard]], [[Pink Floyd]], and [[The Rolling Stones]].

In 1979 and 1980, the facility played host to the [[Drum Corps International]] World Championships.

If Protective Stadium had not been completed in time for the [[2022 World Games]], that event's opening and closing ceremonies would have been held at Legion Field. It remains in use at least through the World Games, as it served as the venue for [[Flag football at the 2022 World Games|flag football]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twg2022.com/2021/three-city-venues/|title = Three Competition Venues Announced for the World Games 2022|date = February 2, 2021}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed heights=130>
Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama.jpg|Exterior, from Graymont Avenue
Image:Legion Field - with upper deck.jpg|Before the upper deck came down
Image:Legion Field Scoreboard.jpg|Old scoreboard
Image:Legion Field - Alabama.jpg|Satellite view, 2004
File:PaulBearBryantMemorial.jpg|Memorial: "The Bear" 
</gallery>

==See also==

*[[List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums]]

==References==

;Notes
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website}}

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-sta|et}}}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of <br />[[Birmingham Bowl]]
 | years = 2006–2020
 | before = first stadium
 | after = [[Protective Stadium]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of <br />[[SWAC Football Championship Game]]
 | years = 1999–2012
 | before = first stadium
 | after = [[NRG Stadium]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of <br />[[SEC Championship Game]]
 | years = 1992–1993
 | before = first stadium
 | after = [[Georgia Dome]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of <br />[[Dixie Bowl]]
 | years = 1947–1948
 | before = first stadium
 | after = defunct
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of <br />[[Outback Bowl|Hall of Fame (Outback) Bowl]]
 | years = 1977–1985
 | before = first stadium
 | after = [[Tampa Stadium]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of <br />[[All-American Bowl]]
 | years = 1986–1990
 | before = continuation after departure of<br />[[Outback Bowl|Hall of Fame (Outback) Bowl]]
 | after = defunct
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of the <br />[[Drum Corps International]] <br />World Championship
 | years = 1979–1980
 | before = [[Mile High Stadium]]
 | after = [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)]]
}}
{{end}}
{{Navboxes
|list1=
{{1996 Summer Olympic venues}}
{{Olympic venues football}}
{{Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{Auburn Tigers football navbox}}
{{UAB Blazers football navbox}}
{{Birmingham–Southern Panthers football navbox}}
{{Samford Bulldogs football navbox}}
{{Birmingham Alabama Pro Football}}
{{Birmingham Landmarks}}
{{Southwestern Athletic Conference football venue navbox}}
{{SWAC Football Championship Game navbox}}
{{SEC Championship Game navbox}}
{{Birmingham Fire}}
{{Birmingham Barracudas}}
{{Birmingham Bowl navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference football venue navbox}}
{{Birmingham Legion FC}}
{{XFL}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Venues of the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:NCAA bowl game venues]]
[[Category:ReliaQuest Bowl]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League venues]]
[[Category:Birmingham Americans]]
[[Category:Birmingham Fire]]
[[Category:Birmingham Iron]]
[[Category:Birmingham Stallions stadiums]]
[[Category:Birmingham–Southern Panthers football]]
[[Category:Samford Bulldogs football]]
[[Category:UAB Blazers football]]
[[Category:United States Football League venues]]
[[Category:United States Football League (2022)]]
[[Category:World Football League venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Birmingham, Alabama]]
[[Category:College football venues in Alabama]]
[[Category:Soccer venues in Alabama]]
[[Category:1927 establishments in Alabama]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1927]]
[[Category:Canadian football venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage]]
[[Category:High school football venues in Alabama]]