Birmingham is a massive city with over a million people that call it home and is Alabama’s largest city: so it’s no surprise that it has a large passion for sports and is home to incredible teams.
This city’s sports history and teams will surprise you, though: here are the top things you need to know about Birmingham’s sports teams.
No Major Professional Sports Franchises
Although most major cities have a couple of major professional sports teams to call it home: Birmingham doesn’t have a single one. Although it has supported tons of minor league teams and an AA baseball team, the Birmingham Barons, it’s not home to any major professional sports franchises.
This doesn’t mean that it’s not home to some fantastic teams, just that none of them are at that level of national attention or competition quite yet. There’s no clear timeline for how soon that could change.
Many Minor League Teams
Birmingham has multiple semi-professional teams, with three minor league baseball teams. The locals go wild for these teams, with the entire city abuzz the night of a game and locals having a lot of opinions on how they think the teams will play. One of the best parts of grabbing one of the many Birmingham homes for sale is the chance to go to as many games as you want.
These teams still get some draw, with fans driving from neighboring states to come to see games: but nowhere near the level that cities like Chicago or Dallas see fans flooding in from around the world to watch games.
The Birmingham Stallions
This professional American football team is one of eight members of the US Football League. At home in the Protective Stadium and Legion Field, they have a great track record for surprising opponents and fans and playing a hard game.
The Birmingham Thunderbolts
This short-lived springtime American Football team is still talked about all the time in Birmingham. Part of the failed XFL and playing out of Legion Field, the Birmingham Thunderbolts were an incredible team to watch and could have gone a lot further if it weren’t for the failure of the XFL.
The Birmingham Barons
Arguably the best baseball team in the state, the Birmingham Barons are Birmingham’s Minor League Baseball team. Playing in the Southern League, this team is recognized as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and currently plays at the Regions Field in Birmingham. Although they’ve lived a lot of different lives (going through three different mascots and other major team changes), they’re a favorite of the locals.
How to Dress for a Birmingham Game
If you’re going to a game and want to have fun: Birmingham is the city for it. One of the best things you can do is go see a team play while you’re in town: but make sure not to buy a jersey unless you can talk about the teams comfortably! Locals who see a jersey or team shirt will want to stop and talk to you about the teams and get your insight; if you can’t talk about them, they may be disappointed.
This City is Incredible.
Birmingham is a historic and incredible city that anyone should be excited to check out. Although it doesn’t have any major professional sports franchises: its teams are still worth a watch!
