(Photo) Protective Stadium.

Piece 1: Protective Stadium. Located in downtown Birmingham AL at 1020 24th Street North, Protective Stadium is a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue. Opened in October 2021, the facility has seating capacity for just over 47,000 and serves as home field for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazers football team.

The colors, materials, and structure of Protective Stadium were influenced by Birmingham’s industrial heritage and landmarks. Its sleek design incorporates glass, black steel, brick, and concrete elements.

The stadium’s 360-degree concourse allows fans to stay connected to the game while circling the stadium to enjoy views of downtown Birmingham. Further, Protective Stadium’s high-definition video scoreboard provides spectators with instant replays of game action and other prerecorded content.

We attended a college football game at Protective Stadium featuring UAB and the University of Tulsa, and really enjoyed the intimate environment created by a more modestly-sized venue. Walking around the concourse at halftime was fun; lots of wonderful views and photo opportunities.

Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (BJCC)

Piece 2: BJCC/Uptown District. The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (BJCC) is a sports, convention, and entertainment complex located just north of I-20/59 in downtown Birmingham AL. Officially opened as an exhibit hall in 1971, the BJCC was initially a large and versatile multipurpose space.

Over time, the facility has undergone numerous expansions and renovations. Notably, the addition of the 18,000-seat Legacy Arena and the more intimate 2,800-seat BJCC Concert Hall/Theater in the mid-70’s made the complex a preferred destination for concert tours and other events. Continuous improvements to seating, lighting, sound, and acoustics have made the fan experience at both BJCC performance venues progressively better.

We particularly enjoy attending events in the Concert Hall. It’s a great place to see live theater, music, and comedy.

Adjacent to the BJCC is the Uptown District. Established in 2013 with the construction of the Westin Hotel and a couple of restaurants, the area has grown to include an assortment of eateries, cocktail bars, and coffee shops.

Sitting in the shadow of Protective Stadium, Uptown provides football fans with convenient lodging and many dining options. We particularly like Eugene’s Hot Chicken, which offers its entrees at five “levels of heat.” Our preferred meal at Eugene’s is the catfish, either Southern Style (no heat) or mild (slight heat), with a side of collard greens.

View of a TOPGOLF Hitting Bay

Piece 3: TOPGOLF. Just behind the northeast side of Protective Stadium at 1111 24th Street South is TOPGOLF, a multilevel high-tech driving range.

Equipped with over 100 climate-controlled hitting bays positioned on three platforms, TOPGOLF guests play year-round regardless of the weather. Using microchipped golf balls, players can enjoy a variety of target and distance games along a range of skill levels.

Guests can bring their own clubs or use TOPGOLF complimentary clubs. A TOPGOLF staff member called a “bay host” helps players get their games started and delivers any food/beverage orders. Also, sports fans can keep up with broadcasted games on an HD television in their bay while they play at TOPGOLF.

We are not proficient (or even active) golfers, but we still enjoyed our experience at TOPGOLF. It’s fun to try and get the golf balls into the staggered distance targets, and even our “bad hits” worked out sometimes. It’s a pretty forgiving setup that allows anyone to have some success. The service from our “bay host” was good, and so was our food. Everyone can have fun at this place, not just people who play golf.

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