Football
A tantalizing Rose Bowl matchup pits Saban’s Alabama against Harbaugh’s Michigan in the CFP
Nick Saban has won six national championships at Alabama, establishing the most successful program of the 21st century. Jim Harbaugh has completely revitalized his alma mater, reaching three straight College Football Playoffs at Michigan with style and controversy.
Alabama makes the College Football Playoff
Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama were selected Sunday and Florida State became the first unbeaten Power Five conference champion to be excluded from the field.
Q&A: Author of ‘Rocket Men’ details how Black quarterbacks helped move the NFL forward
John Eisenberg talks with the Gulf States Newsroom about the Black quarterbacks who helped change the NFL, as well as the players who never got the chance.
Video shows high school band director shocked with stun gun, arrested after refusing to stop music
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, who is representing band director Johnny Mims as his attorney, said Tuesday that the incident is an “alarming abuse of power” that instead “should have been should have been deescalated.”
JeffCo Commission agrees to support Magic City Classic for 1 year, will consider longer contract later
The annual football game between Alabama State and Alabama A&M Universities has been played 80 times at Birmingham’s Legion Field.
The real winner of Super Bowl 57? The Gulf South and its wide range of football talent
The big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will feature nearly 30 players from Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi combined.
UAB hires ex-NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer as head coach
The former NFL quarterback most recently spent four seasons as a high school football coach.
Auburn hires Liberty’s Hugh Freeze, who’s coming back to SEC
Auburn athletic director John Cohen announced on Monday the hiring of Freeze, who spent the last four seasons as coach at Liberty.
Will the Magic City Classic return to Legion Field next year?
With Legion Field nearly 100 years old and Protective Stadium opening last year in downtown Birmingham, people have questioned if the Magic City Classic will find a new home.
Saban: Current state of college football not ‘sustainable’
The Alabama Crimson Tide coach is confident his program will thrive in this new era of college football, but he's concerned about the sport overall.
Birmingham will host USFL’s inaugural season
The Birmingham Stallions will play the New Jersey Generals in the United States Football League's first game on April 16.
Georgia snaps 41-year title drought with 33-18 win over Bama
The Alabama Crimson Tide lost the College Football National Championship to the Georgia Bulldogs: 33-18.
The stadium bid for Woodlawn High School is approved. It could be built by the fall
The Birmingham Board of Education has approved a bid for Woodlawn High School's new football stadium. It could be built by fall 2022.
Birmingham City Council Approves Incentives For HBCU Classic At Legion Field
Legion Field is adding another HBCU football classic to its schedule.
SEC Announces Delayed Start Of 2020 Football Season
The SEC is delaying the start of its football season and taking extra precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Players & Coaches Prepare For Uncertain Future In College Athletics
The cancellation and delay of sporting events due to the coronavirus is creating uncertainty for student athletes. College coaches have fewer opportunities to scout new players and they face mounting financial pressure that's led some schools to cut athletic programs.
What to Expect at the Alabama-LSU Game with Trump in Attendance
The Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers, the top two teams in college football, will clash at Bryant-Denny Stadium. On top of that, President Donald Trump will be there.
Legion Field’s Future Big Topic During Magic City Classic Week
The McDonald's Magic City Classic brings bragging rights about the best band and football team. But some connected to the Classic wonder what happens to the annual matchup and Legion Field once Birmingham’s new downtown stadium is completed?
Birmingham Iron’s Season Ends Early, as Alliance of American Football Suspends Operations
Even quicker than it came to life, the Alliance of American Football — and with it, the Birmingham Iron — has gone on life support.
Another Pro Football League Takes the Field in Birmingham. Will This One Stay Afloat?
It’s almost become a tradition for football fans in the Magic City. Every few years, yet another professional football league comes to Legion Field, with aspirations to bring some semblance of high-level gridiron action to The Old Gray Lady on Graymont.
Deaf Football Players Find Novel Ways to Communicate
On the football field, visual communication is key. That’s especially true for the Silent Warriors, a team of middle and high school students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. They compete against mainstream and deaf schools across the U.S., where having a unique language can be both an advantage and a challenge on the field.
What it Takes to Get the Blazers to the Bahamas
The logistics of getting some 125 players, 40 staffers, and 50 band members to the Bahamas are formidable. Start with a shipping container, all those passports, two charter planes, and some lessons from teams that have gone to the Bahamas Bowl before.
Fear of Concussions Helps Boost Flag Football
With links between head impacts and neurological problems becoming clearer, an alternative to youth tackle football is surging. Flag football is more and more popular, even as participation in other sports declines, and even in a place known for tackle: Hoover, Alabama.
Twists, Fades and Frohawks? Blazer Barbers Have it Covered
UAB Blazers football players don't need to go farther than the locker room for a hair cut. The team has its own barbershop.
Blazers’ Punter Comes From a Land Down Under
UAB's punter is from Australia, he's older than the average recruit and he loves Vegemite.
Stadium vs. Dome: Which is the Better Choice for Birmingham?
Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West explains the debate around a downtown stadium.
How Do National Championship Foes Alabama and Clemson Really Compare?
Most analysts compare defensive lines, secondaries, quarterbacks and ground games. But the Southern Education Desk decided to look at other facts about these two southern universities.
Serious Tailgaters Prepare Days Ahead Of Birmingham Football Rivalry Game
Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday SHERREL STEWART In Birmingham, tens of thousands of football fans will watch Alabama A&M face Alabama State in the Magic City Classic, a big game between two black colleges. SCOTT SIMON, HOST:A giant tailgate party has been underway for days in Birmingham, Ala., as tens of thousands of football fans […]
UAB Athletics Hits Another Fundraising Milestone
UAB Athletics announced yesterday that they exceeded a second crucial fundraising mark in the Finish the Drive campaign.
Sociologists’ Book Urges End of Sex Division in Sports
Can you imagine a world with no gender divisions in sports? University of Alabama at Birmingham sociologist Adrienne Milner can. Not only that — she wants to help make it happen. Along with University of Miami professor Dr. Jomills Henry Braddock II, she’s written a new book called “Sex Segregation in Sports: Why Separate Is Not […]
Athletes And Schools Tackle Tougher NCAA Academic Requirements for Potential D1 Players
When it comes to Division I football, Southern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana, produce the largest number of recruits per capita. New NCAA rules take effect for college athletes next fall. A 2.0 GPA and a decent ACT score won’t be enough anymore. To avoid the bench, freshmen will have to come in with a 2.3 GPA in core classes — reading, math, science, and social studies. And players in high school — where standards are generally lower — are feeling it.
College Athletes Talk Tensions Between Sports and Academics
Across the South, college football is in full swing. But football is just one of dozens of NCAA sports. In any season, student-athletes are pushing themselves on the field, in the gym, and in the classroom. They get scholarships and generate billions of dollars, but they also get hurt and struggle with their studies on […]
