UFL co-owner Mike Repole signaled the Birmingham Stallions may leave Protective Stadium after 2026. In a post on X planning the league's 2027 season, Repole said he has "a hard time seeing us back at Protective Stadium next year." He tied the decision to venue size and fan turnout. It is the second straight offseason the future of Birmingham has become a talking point.
Repole laid out the standard he wants for the UFL: the right market, the right-sized venue, and a passionate fan base. He said a return to Protective Stadium "goes against one of the biggest principles we're building this league around……. smaller stadiums, packed houses, real energy and a true home field atmosphere." He asked Birmingham for options and ideas.
This is the latest chapter in a story that started a year ago.
The 2025 Offseason: Round One
The Birmingham question first surfaced ahead of the 2026 season. Reports in July 2025 said the UFL planned to relocate four teams. The league said it was in an evaluation phase and would not rule out moves.
In August 2025, Repole challenged Birmingham fans directly. He wrote that the Stallions had "seen a massive drop in attendance" and called it "not sustainable" for the league. He asked for 5,000 new season-ticket deposits in one week. Birmingham fell short, reaching about 2,200. Repole kept the team in Birmingham anyway. He went on WJOX's McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning and called the Stallions "the Dallas Cowboys/Pittsburgh Steelers of spring football."
The UFL Did Relocate for 2026
While Birmingham stayed, the UFL made major changes for 2026. The league moved three teams and rebranded others. It dropped the Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, and San Antonio Brahmas. It added the Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm. The Arlington Renegades became the Dallas Renegades. The Houston Roughnecks became the Houston Gamblers.
UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon said the league reviewed all markets and venues and that the stadium options in the departed cities did not fit the new vision. Every new venue is a soccer-specific stadium in the 14,000-to-25,500 range. That reflects Repole's stated preference for smaller buildings.
New 2026 Team | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
Columbus Aviators | Historic Crew Stadium | 19,968 |
Louisville Kings | Lynn Family Stadium | 14,673 |
Orlando Storm | Inter&Co Stadium | 25,500 |
Dallas Renegades (from Arlington) | Toyota Stadium | 22,500 |
Houston Gamblers (from Houston) | Shell Energy Stadium | 20,656 |
Birmingham kept the Stallions but also kept Protective Stadium, a 47,100-seat building. That is now the point of friction.
Stallions Attendance at Protective Stadium
The Stallions have played home games at the 47,100-seat Protective Stadium since 2022. Here is the UFL-era regular-season home data.
2024 home games:
Week | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
3 | Memphis | 12,265 |
4 | DC | 7,262 |
7 | St. Louis | 14,056 |
8 | Houston | 10,245 |
10 | Michigan | 7,133 |
2024 home average: about 10,192. That filled roughly 22% of the building.
2025 home games:
Week | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
3 | Arlington | 10,126 |
5 | Memphis | 9,127 |
6 | San Antonio | 9,627 |
7 | Houston | 4,774 |
9 | Michigan | 10,344 |
2025 home average: about 8,800. That filled roughly 19% of the building, down about 1,392 fans per game from 2024.
In 2026, reports placed the home opener over 18,000, with a Gucci Mane halftime concert credited for the crowd. Birmingham then closed the regular season with reported figures near 4,700, 4,800, and 5,300. Stallions head coach AJ McCarron publicly disputed those numbers, saying the UFL under-reported attendance.
How Protective Stadium Draws for Other Events
The venue holds 47,100. It rarely fills. Here is how other tenants and events have drawn at the same building.
UAB Blazers football (primary tenant): The Blazers averaged 19,702 in 2025, ranked 99th of all FBS teams. Individual UAB games have topped 21,000, but crowds have slipped under head coach Trent Dilfer, who was fired six games into the 2025 season.
Birmingham Bowl (college football):
Year | Attendance |
|---|---|
2021 | 47,100 (Auburn vs. Houston) |
2022 | 15,901 |
2023 | 20,023 |
2024 | 33,840 (Vanderbilt vs. Georgia Tech) |
2025 | 12,092 |
The bowl's draw swings with the matchup. Auburn's 2021 appearance filled the stadium. The 2025 game, featuring Georgia Southern and Appalachian State, drew about 12,000.
Birmingham Legion FC (USL soccer): The club's attendance record is 18,418, set in a 2023 U.S. Open Cup match against MLS side Inter Miami.
Concerts: The stadium opened its concert schedule on June 4, 2022, with Garth Brooks. It has since hosted acts including Usher and Chris Brown.
The Stadium Options Problem
Birmingham does not have an obvious smaller football venue. Its options run to extremes.
Venue | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Legion Field | 71,594 | The Stallions' original 1980s home. Larger than Protective, not smaller. |
Protective Stadium | 47,100 | Current home. The venue Repole questions. |
PNC Field | 5,000 | UAB soccer venue. Right size, but built for soccer. |
Legion Field is bigger and older, the opposite of what Repole wants. The area's soccer venues are the right size but not football-configured. That is likely why Repole's post reads as an open call for ideas rather than a named alternative.
The Bigger Picture: Expansion Is Coming
The Birmingham question sits inside a growth plan. On April 9, 2026, the UFL announced expansion to 10 teams for 2028. Oklahoma City is the ninth franchise and the first of two 2028 expansion teams. It will play at the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium, a downtown venue with a capacity just over 10,000. A tenth team will be added by 2028, with the market not yet named.
Repole's long-term goal is 16 teams by the mid-2030s. Every recent venue choice, from the 2026 relocations to the 10,000-seat Oklahoma City stadium, points to the same model: smaller buildings the league can fill. Protective Stadium does not fit that model. Repole's post signals Birmingham must find a venue that does, or risk becoming the next market on the move.