August 21, 2004

Legion Field declared unsound

Via Warren, the city of Birmingham has declared the upper deck at Legion Field structurally unsound. As a result, the Crimson Tide will play all future home games on campus in Tuscaloosa. It will be the first time Alabama has played all its home games in Tuscaloosa since 1899.

Birmingham has no plans to repair or replace the upper deck. While the city says that the rest of the stadium is sound, I don't think I want to be in one of the seats just below the unsound deck.

Posted by Kevin Donahue

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1. Pete Holiday says:

   posted on August 21, 2004 12:25 PM — link

   FYI: 'Bama had no games scheduled for Legion Field this year. The last one in the contract was next year.

2. Jeff says:

   posted on August 21, 2004 12:59 PM — link

   Haven't seen schedules, a host of a radio show on a station a friend owns was mentioning it on the air yesterday and he said they were scheduled to play MTSU there this year... and the articles point out that it's been a regular thing every year since 1899 - but that might might be wrong, he's an Auburn fan.

3. Jeff says:

   posted on August 21, 2004 01:00 PM — link

   Found an article, and the guy I talked to was wrong, MTSU was next year, as Pete said.

   One other tidbit I found:
   Officials said the upper level isn’t in danger of collapse, and the stadium will still play host to smaller events including UAB home games, the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship, the annual Alabama A&M-Alabama State game and high school contests.

4. Robert Knodell says:

   posted on August 21, 2004 02:48 PM — link

   Despite the sentimental talk coming out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and especially Mal Moore had been itching to get out of Birmingham for a long time. That's why they trickled down to only scheduling meaningless non-conference games there every once in a while.

   Bama can make much more money in a stadium it controls and is larger with more luxury suites. Birmingham doesn't have the dough to fix Legion. I can remember back when Alabama and Auburn played many of their big games in Birmingham, Ole Miss and MSU regularly played in Jackson (MS), Arkansas played more in Little Rock, and Tennessee occasionally played in Memphis. Now Arkansas is the only team with two "home fields" and that is only because of a unique political situation in Little Rock.

   Question: Can you still call Birmingham "The Football Capital of the South" now that UAB is the only game in town?

5. Pete Holiday says:

   posted on August 25, 2004 02:30 PM — link

   Ahhh Jeff... questioning the expert knowledge of a 'Bama student on campus. At least you've seen the error of your ways! (Leave it to an Auburn fan to be clueless)

   Robert: it's always been about money... the day Bryant-Denny eclipsed Legion Field's capacity the athletic department started making their exit plan. It's been hard, though, with the contract and everything.

6. Kevin Donahue says:

   posted on August 25, 2004 02:48 PM — link

   Don't take it too hard, Jeff. Pete's been there long enough to know most of this stuff. ;)

7. chris says:

   posted on October 21, 2004 03:57 AM — link

   played against bama once @legion field in the 90's (east carolina). will never forget the great bama fans who welcomed us, fed us, got us drunk, then beat us, and TOLD us to party with them afterwards. maybe one day we will meet again in tuscaloosa or greenville.