UAB Blazers

The UAB Blazers play American Athletic Conference football out of downtown Birmingham's Protective Stadium, representing a program known for one of the most dramatic comeback stories in modern college football. After being shut down in 2014, UAB football was resurrected just three years later and quickly became a Conference USA power, embodying resilience as its defining trait. The Blazers' downtown stadium and passionate fan revival have made UAB a modern success story in FBS realignment.

UAB began playing football in 1991 and joined Conference USA for football in 1999. The program was discontinued after the 2014 season due to budget cuts, sparking a fan-driven campaign that led to its reinstatement, with the Blazers returning to the field in 2017. UAB quickly rebuilt into a contender, winning its first Conference USA championship in 2018 and a second in 2020, before moving to the American Athletic Conference in 2023.